Scientists reach consensus on guidelines for pre-clinical studies in MND
01 December 2006
“I thought that this afternoon’s session would be controversial and hotly debated, but we are all in agreement,” was the concluding comment at this afternoon’s session of the International Symposium on ALS/MND on the ‘Interpretation of data from SOD1 models of motor neurone disease’.
In 1993 scientists discovered that the cause of a rare, inherited form of motor neurone disease was due to damage in a gene known as the ‘SOD1’ gene. This gene defect only causes MND in 2% of all cases of the condition. However, as this was (and is) the only known cause of MND, three years later an animal model of MND was developed by incorporating damaged copies of the gene into the animals, usually mice and rats. Since then this model has been used extensively by the MND research community. It has helped them to understand why the damaged gene causes motor neurones to die and also to test potential new drugs for MND.
In subsequent years many drugs that have shown to be effective in delaying the progression of disease in this model have not gone on to be effective when tested in clinical trials. To tackle this issue, a workshop in Holland was convened to write some guidelines on the use of SOD1 animal models. Representing the participants of this workshop Prof Albert Ludolph from Ulm University, Germany, presented their conclusions today.
Dr Denise Figlewicz opened the session with a comprehensive study on the effect that the ‘pedigree’ (pure breed) of these SOD1 animals can have on the onset and progression of symptoms of motor neurone disease. It will important for researchers to consider these data and the guidelines mentioned above when designing future pre-clinical studies in MND.
In 1993 scientists discovered that the cause of a rare, inherited form of motor neurone disease was due to damage in a gene known as the ‘SOD1’ gene. This gene defect only causes MND in 2% of all cases of the condition. However, as this was (and is) the only known cause of MND, three years later an animal model of MND was developed by incorporating damaged copies of the gene into the animals, usually mice and rats. Since then this model has been used extensively by the MND research community. It has helped them to understand why the damaged gene causes motor neurones to die and also to test potential new drugs for MND.
In subsequent years many drugs that have shown to be effective in delaying the progression of disease in this model have not gone on to be effective when tested in clinical trials. To tackle this issue, a workshop in Holland was convened to write some guidelines on the use of SOD1 animal models. Representing the participants of this workshop Prof Albert Ludolph from Ulm University, Germany, presented their conclusions today.
Dr Denise Figlewicz opened the session with a comprehensive study on the effect that the ‘pedigree’ (pure breed) of these SOD1 animals can have on the onset and progression of symptoms of motor neurone disease. It will important for researchers to consider these data and the guidelines mentioned above when designing future pre-clinical studies in MND.
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Notes to editors
The 17th International Symposium on ALS/MND is taking place in Yokohama, Japan, between Thursday, 30 November and Saturday, 2 December. The event is organised by the UK-based Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Association and hosted this year by the Japanese ALS Association (JALSA).
