CEB ALS Research selected for prestigious journal cover

Research carried out at the Department of Chemical Engineering & Biotechnology graces the cover of the 03-07-2024 edition of the Journal of Neuroscience, the premiere publication of the American Society for Neuroscience (SfN).

The paper, entitled 'Mutation of the ALS-/FTD-Associated RNA-Binding Protein FUS Affects Axonal Development' was the result of Dr Francesca van Tartwijk's PhD Project, and she is named as first author of the paper.

Dr van Tartwijk's research interrogates one of the causes of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Motor Neuron Disease. ALS is a disease in which the nerves that control muscles gradually die. The disease is characterised by the slow loss of control of the body's muscles which renders patients unable to move their arms or legs, before progressing to the paralysis of nearly all voluntary muscles in the body, a state referred to as a psuedocoma, or as 'locked-in' syndrome. One in 400 people will suffer from ALS in their lifetimes. There is currently no cure.

In some cases, ALS is caused by mutations in the gene ‘fus’. Mutations in this gene are associated with especially aggressive forms of ALS, with the disease starting earlier in life. Studies in mice have shown that fus is important for neuronal development: if the fus gene is lost, it causes changes in nerve function before birth.

Dr van Tartwijk and her colleagues at CEB set out to investigate whether disease-associated fus mutations (rather than loss of all normal fus) can also cause developmental changes. Using a frog model system, they were able to study developing nerves, and show that an ALS-associated fus mutation causes changes in the structure of nerve endings during their development.

This research could pave the way to understanding how to prevent the symptoms of ALS before they arise. While not a cure, the research being carried out by DR van Tartwijk could help to alleviate the suffering of millions around the world.

The publication of this research represents a massive achievement for Dr van Tartwijk, all her colleagues in the Laser Analytics Group and CEB as a whole. The SfN's Journal for Neuroscience is one of the leading neuroscientific journals in the world, so to have CEB research featured on its cover is a great privilege. She had a few words to share;

You can read the paper on the Journal for Neuroscience website.

The Laser Analytics group is led by Professor Clemens Kaminski