A team of scientists from the Spanish National Cancer Research Center has discovered that the accumulation of garbage proteins may be the cause of aging and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The research findings have been published in the scientific journal Molecular Cell.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by the loss of muscle control. It lacks effective treatment methods.
Researchers conducted a study and demonstrated that the hereditary form of ALS, known as familial ALS, may be associated with the buildup of garbage proteins in motor neurons. These proteins serve no useful function and only hinder the normal functioning of cells. Under normal conditions, they actively participate in ribosome formation.
The researchers noted that ALS likely shares common roots with other diseases, such as ribosomopathy, associated with an excess of non-functional ribosomal proteins. Specifically concerning ALS, the negative impact is concentrated on motor neurons.
Furthermore, the study authors identified a possible mechanism that triggers both ALS and aging in general. It involves the nucleolus—a cellular organelle responsible for ribosome synthesis. It is presumed that stress in the nucleolus initiates the aging process and is also related to the accumulation of non-functional ribosomal proteins.
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