Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS): A new potential therapeutic target identified. Sebastiano Cavallaro on SkyTG24

Sebastiano Cavallaro

Thanks to an Italian team of researchers from the National Research Council’s Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation (Irib) and the Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology (Ibbc).
The main focus of their study is the CXCR2 receptor, which has been shown to play a key role in patients with sporadic-type ALS.
A new possible therapeutic target for treatment against Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis has been identified by a team of researchers from the Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation (Irib) and the Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology (Ibbc) of the National Research Council (CNR).
It is specifically a protein, namely the CXCR2 receptor, which has been shown to have a key role in patients with sporadic-type ALS.
The team of researchers, who saw their study published on an important peer-reviewed scientific journal “Neurobiology of Disease”,
The team of researchers, who saw their study published on the scientific journal “Neurobiology of Disease”, explained how the results obtained represent “a first step towards personalized medicine for complex diseases affecting the nervous system”. “Using two preclinical in vitro and in vivo experimental models, we studied the effect of CXCR2 inhibition by Reparixin.
These results demonstrate an important action of the therapeutic drug in preventing neurodegeneration in vitro and improving neuromuscular function in vivo,” said Sebastiano Cavallaro, research director of CNR-Irib and head of the genomics laboratory in Catania.

CXCR2 receptor “could play a pathogenic role in ALS and the data obtained so far support its use as a therapeutic target,” he added. But in what way was the final result arrived at? “Through a genomic analysis, we showed that a molecular stratification of ALS patients, together with an appropriate selection and prioritization of potential drug targets, could help to define rationally designed strategies that can be customized to the patient,” the the researcher explained. explained.

Original Press: https://tg24.sky.it/salute-e-benessere/2021/11/08/target-terapeutico-sla