Testing of the therapeutic efficacy and safety of AMPA receptor RNA aptamers in an ALS mouse model

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Abstract

In motor neurons of sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients, the RNA editing at the glutamine/arginine site of the GluA2 subunit of α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid (AMPA) receptors is defective or incomplete. As a result, AMPA receptors containing the abnormally expressed, unedited isoform of GluA2 are highly Ca2+-permeable, and are responsible for mediating abnormal Ca2+ influx, thereby triggering motor neuron degeneration and cell death. Thus, blocking the AMPA receptor–mediated, abnormal Ca2+ influx is a potential therapeutic strategy for treatment of sporadic ALS. Here, we report a study of the efficacy and safety of two RNA aptamers targeting AMPA receptors on the ALS phenotype of AR2 mice. A 12-wk continuous, intracerebroventricular infusion of aptamers to AR2 mice reduced the progression of motor dysfunction, normalized TDP-43 mislocalization, and prevented death of motor neurons. Our results demonstrate that the use of AMPA receptor aptamers as a novel class of AMPA receptor antagonists is a promising strategy for developing an ALS treatment approach.

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APA

Akamatsu, M., Yamashita, T., Teramoto, S., Huang, Z., Lynch, J., Toda, T., … Kwak, S. (2022). Testing of the therapeutic efficacy and safety of AMPA receptor RNA aptamers in an ALS mouse model. Life Science Alliance, 5(4). https://doi.org/10.26508/lsa.202101193

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