Therapeutic benefit of intrathecal injection of insulin-like growth factor-1 in a mouse model of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.
Insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1 has been shown to have a protective effect on motor neurons both in vitro and in vivo, but has limited efficacy in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) when given subcutaneously. To examine the possible effectiveness of IGF-1 in a mouse model of familial ALS, transgenic mice expressing human Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1) with a G93A mutation were treated by continuous IGF-1 delivery into the intrathecal space of the lumbar spinal cord. We found that the intrathecal administration of IGF-1 improved motor performance, delayed the onset of clinical disease, and extended survival in the G93A transgenic mice. Furthermore, it increased the expression of phosphorylated Akt and ERK in spinal motor neurons, and partially prevented motor neuron loss in these mice. Taken together, the results suggest that direct administration of IGF-1 into the intrathecal space may have a therapeutic benefit for ALS.
Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine and Dentistry, Okayama University, 2-5-1 Shikata-cho, Okayama 700-8558, Japan. inagano@bz01.plala.or.jp
Isao
I
Nagano
Hristelina
H
Ilieva
Mito
M
Shiote
Tetsuro
T
Murakami
Masataka
M
Yokoyama
Mikio
M
Shoji
Koji
K
Abe
D000367:Age Factors; D000690:Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western / Q000379:methods; D002452:Cell Count / Q000379:methods; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D007278:Injections, Spinal / Q000379:methods; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000187:drug effects; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000235:genetics
D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I; C109415:SOD1 G93A protein; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases