Review
Clinical Neurology
Daisuke Ito, Satoru Morimoto, Shinichi Takahashi, Kensuke Okada, Jin Nakahara, Hideyuki Okano
Summary: Significant progress has been made in drug screening for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis using patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells, leading to the identification of candidate drugs and the advancement of clinical trials. This stem cell-based approach shows safety and positive effects, reducing costs and time compared to animal testing.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Nils Skajaa, Istvan Bakos, Erzsebet Horvath-Puho, Victor W. Henderson, Timothy L. Lash, Henrik Toft Sorensen
Summary: The study found a slight association between statin initiation and ALS, especially an elevated risk in women in the first year after initiation. Possible explanations for this association include reverse causation, detection bias, early neurotoxic effects of statins affecting women more than men, or a combination of these factors.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Nils Skajaa, Emil Bjerregaard Riahi, Szimonetta Komjathine Szepligeti, Erzsebet Horvath-Puho, Trine Toft Sorensen, Victor W. Henderson, Henrik Toft Sorensen
Summary: Using Danish nationwide registries, this study found that patients with type 2 diabetes and obesity had a reduced risk of ALS compared to the general population, especially among men and those aged 60 or above.
BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR
(2023)
Review
Clinical Neurology
Nan Hu, Hongyan Ji
Summary: Regular use of anti-hypertensive drugs and anti-diabetes medications, including ACEIs, beta-blockers, CCBs, diuretics, metformin, and sulfonylureas, may protect against the risk of ALS, while there is no significant association between anti-hyperlipidemia drug use and the risk of ALS. Regular medications for hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes should be recommended regardless of the diagnosis of ALS.
NEUROLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Marc G. Weisskopf, Joseph Levy, Aisha S. Dickerson, Sabrina Paganoni, Maya Leventer-Roberts
Summary: Studies show that statin use may have a protective effect on ALS survival, especially for those using lower-potency statins. However, the duration of statin use may affect these findings.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF EPIDEMIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Can Cui, Jiangwei Sun, Kyla A. McKay, Caroline Ingre, Fang Fang
Summary: This systematic review investigated the association between medication use and ALS risk, and found no strong evidence linking any medication use with the risk of ALS.
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
JingSi Jiang, Yan Wang, Min Deng
Summary: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder. Currently, there are only a few drugs that can extend the survival time of patients. However, there are many new experimental drugs being tested in clinical trials, and several of them have shown promising therapeutic effects.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Farid Boumediene, Benoit Marin, Jaime Luna, Vincent Bonneterre, William Camu, Emmeline Lagrange, Gerard Besson, Florence Esselin, Elisa De la Cruz, Geraldine Lautrette, Pierre Marie Preux, Philippe Couratier
Summary: Through investigating the spatial aggregation of ALS cases, 13 areas that warrant further investigation were identified.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF EPIDEMIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Giulia Fiscon, Federica Conte, Susanna Amadio, Cinzia Volonte, Paola Paci
Summary: The conventional one target, one drug paradigm has not been effective in treating complex diseases like ALS. This study aims to find innovative solutions for ALS therapy by utilizing Network Medicine and drug repurposing strategies. Through the use of SAveRUNNER algorithm, unconventional ALS drugs were identified and confirmed through gene set enrichment analysis.
Letter
Genetics & Heredity
Chunyu Li, Yanbing Hou, Qianqian Wei, Junyu Lin, Zheng Jiang, Qirui Jiang, Tianmi Yang, Yi Xiao, Jingxuan Huang, Yangfan Cheng, Ruwei Ou, Kuncheng Liu, Xueping Chen, Wei Song, Bi Zhao, Ying Wu, Bei Cao, Yongping Chen, Huifang Shang
Summary: Recently, rare variants of SPTLC1 and SPTLC2 were analyzed in a Chinese population to explore their genetic role in ALS. While several rare variants were identified, there was no enrichment of these variants at the gene level in ALS patients. These results broaden our understanding of the variant spectrum of SPTLC1 and SPTLC2 in ALS, highlighting the need for further research and replication studies.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ines Maestro, Laura R. de la Ballina, Gracia Porras, Silvia Corrochano, Eva De Lago, Anne Simonsen, Patricia Boya, Ana Martinez
Summary: Mitophagy is the process of selectively degrading mitochondria through autophagy, which prevents the accumulation of dysfunctional mitochondria and cellular degeneration. It is known to be altered in neurodegenerative diseases such as ALS. A new mitophagy inhibitor, IGS2.7, was identified and found to restore autophagy to normal levels in ALS models with mutations in SOD1 and TARDBP. This finding suggests a potential therapeutic approach for familial ALS patients.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Review
Neurosciences
Kim A. Staats, David R. Borchelt, Malu Gamez Tansey, James Wymer
Summary: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating neurodegenerative disease characterized by inflammation. The development and utilization of biomarkers can aid in diagnosis, treatment target determination, and disease progression prediction. This article focuses on inflammation biomarkers in ALS and proposes new research directions.
MOLECULAR NEURODEGENERATION
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Hoda S. Abdel S. Magid, Barbara Topol, Valerie McGuire, Jessica A. Hinman, Edward J. Kasarskis, Lorene M. Nelson
Summary: This study investigated the association between cardiovascular diseases and the risk of developing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The results showed an inverse association between heart failure, atrial fibrillation, hypertension, and ALS risk. The use of certain cardiovascular medications was also inversely associated with ALS risk.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Thomas H. Julian, Nicholas Glascow, A. Dylan Fisher Barry, Tobias Moll, Calum Harvey, Yann C. Klimentidis, Michelle Newell, Sai Zhang, Michael P. Snyder, Johnathan Cooper-Knock, Pamela J. Shaw
Summary: The study suggests a positive causal relationship between frequent and strenuous leisure-time exercise and ALS, but only in individuals with specific risk genotypes. It is shown that exercise can activate ALS risk genes, particularly the G4C2 repeat expansion of C9ORF72 which may predispose to exercise-induced ALS.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Virginia Kudritzki, Ileana M. Howard
Summary: The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) has been a leader in implementing telehealth technologies for rehabilitation and expanding non-traditional patient encounters. ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects veterans at a higher rate and has limited access to specialized care. Exercise interventions delivered through telehealth have shown promise in maintaining or restoring function for ALS patients. This review proposes a framework for telehealth delivery of exercise interventions and discusses the evidence supporting telehealth-based exercise for neuromuscular disorders.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROLOGY
(2023)
Review
Oncology
Michael R. Sargen, Gabriel J. Starrett, Eric A. Engels, Elizabeth K. Cahoon, Margaret A. Tucker, Alisa M. Goldstein
Summary: Sebaceous carcinoma is an aggressive skin cancer with varying survival rates based on disease severity. Its incidence has been increasing in the United States for decades, with unclear reasons. Recent research has provided new insights into the epidemiology, genetics, and tumor biology of this cancer, as well as evidence of a possible viral etiology.
CLINICAL CANCER RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Vadim Chumak, Elena Bakhanova, Victor Kryuchkov, Ivan Golovanov, Konstantin Chizhov, Dimitry Bazyka, Natalia Gudzenko, Natalia Trotsuk, Kiyohiko Mabuchi, Maureen Hatch, Elizabeth K. Cahoon, Mark P. Little, Tatiana Kukhta, Amy Berrington de Gonzalez, Stephen J. Chanock, Vladimir Drozdovitch
Summary: The study aimed at investigating the radiation effects on germline de novo mutations in children as well as other outcomes for parents exposed in the Chornobyl accident. Gonadal doses varied considerably depending on the exposure pathway, with the highest doses received during the cleanup mission. Monte Carlo simulations were used to estimate the parental gonadal doses and associated uncertainties.
JOURNAL OF RADIOLOGICAL PROTECTION
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Meredith Yeager, Mitchell J. Machiela, Prachi Kothiya, Michael Dean, Clara Bodelon, Shalabh Suman, Mingyi Wang, Lisa Mirabello, Chase W. Nelson, Weiyin Zhou, Cameron Palmer, Bari Ballew, Leandro M. Colli, Neal D. Freedman, Casey Dagnall, Amy Hutchinson, Vibha Vij, Yosi Maruvka, Maureen Hatch, Iryna Illienko, Yuri Belayev, Nori Nakamura, Vadim Chumak, Elena Bakhanova, David Belyi, Victor Kryuchkov, Ivan Golovanov, Natalia Gudzenko, Elizabeth K. Cahoon, Paul Albert, Vladimir Drozdovitch, Mark P. Little, Kiyohiko Mabuchi, Chip Stewart, Gad Getz, Dimitry Bazyka, Amy Berrington de Gonzalez, Stephen J. Chanock
Summary: Research on children born to parents exposed to radiation from the Chernobyl nuclear accident did not show an increase in germline de novo mutations. This suggests that exposure to ionizing radiation may have minimal impact on genetic mutations in humans within the tested range.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ekaterina Chirikova, Robert J. McConnell, Patrick O'Kane, Vasilina Yauseyenka, Mark P. Little, Victor Minenko, Vladimir Drozdovitch, Ilya Veyalkin, Maureen Hatch, June M. Chan, Chiung-Yu Huang, Kiyohiko Mabuchi, Elizabeth K. Cahoon, Alexander Rozhko, Lydia B. Zablotska
Summary: This study is the first to investigate the association between exposure to iodine-131 and thyroid volume in a population exposed during childhood. It found a moderate statistically significant increase in thyroid volume in individuals aged 18 and older at screening.
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Natalia Gudzenko, Kiyohiko Mabuchi, Alina V. Brenner, Mark P. Little, Maureen Hatch, Vladimir Drozdovitch, Vibha Vij, Vadim Chumak, Elena Bakhanova, Natalia Trotsyuk, Victor Kryuchkov, Ivan Golovanov, Dimitry Bazyka, Elizabeth K. Cahoon
Summary: In this study, we aimed to investigate the association between thyroid radiation dose received during adulthood and thyroid cancer risk in men. The results showed that the overall thyroid cancer risk per gray (EOR/Gy) was 0.40, with a stronger association seen with less time since exposure. Additionally, a slightly elevated but nonsignificant association was observed for follicular thyroid cancer.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF EPIDEMIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Jim Z. Mai, Rui Zhang, Michael R. Sargen, Mark P. Little, Bruce H. Alexander, Margaret A. Tucker, Cari M. Kitahara, Elizabeth K. Cahoon
Summary: This study found that earlier age at menarche and late age at first birth were associated with an increased incidence rate of melanoma. However, other estrogen-related factors and exogenous hormone use were not significantly associated with melanoma incidence.
HUMAN REPRODUCTION
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Elizabeth K. Cahoon, Dale Preston, Rui Zhang, Vibha Vij, Mark P. Little, Kiyohiko Mabuchi, Vladimir Drozdovitch, Konstantin Chizhov, Vasilina V. Yauseyenka, Alexander Rozhko, Ilya V. Velalkin
Summary: Pregnancy does not increase the risk of breast cancer, but lactation significantly increases the risk among women exposed to radiation in contaminated areas.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EPIDEMIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Mark P. Little, Elizabeth K. Cahoon, Natalia Gudzenko, Kiyohiko Mabuchi, Vladimir Drozdovitch, Maureen Hatch, Alina Brenner, Vibha Vij, Konstantin Chizhov, Elena Bakhanova, Natalia Trotsyuk, Victor Kryuchkov, Ivan Golovanov, Vadim Chumak, Dimitry Bazyka
Summary: A study comparing two different methods of dose-error adjustment found that the use of Monte Carlo maximum likelihood adjustment led to increased trend risks, particularly for follicular morphology thyroid cancers. The results also showed that the regression calibration method may not adequately account for the full error distribution. The unexpected finding of increased risks for follicular tumors needs to be replicated in other exposed groups.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF EPIDEMIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biology
Sergii Masiuk, Mykola Chepurny, Valentyna Buderatska, Olga Ivanova, Zulfira Boiko, Natalia Zhadan, Maureen Hatch, Elizabeth K. Cahoon, Galyna Zamotayeva, Victor Shpak, Mykola Tronko, Vladimir Drozdovitch
Summary: This study revised the thyroid doses for Ukrainian in utero cohort members exposed to Chornobyl fallout by considering I-131 thyroid activity, entire Ukraine thyroid dosimetry system, and I-131 ground deposition densities. The intake of I-131 was the major pathway for thyroid exposure, with uncertainties in the doses driven by shared errors.
JOURNAL OF RADIATION RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Biology
A. Brenner, D. L. Preston, R. Sakata, J. Cologne, H. Sugiyama, M. Utada, E. K. Cahoon, E. Grant, K. Mabuchi, K. Ozasa
Summary: Recent analysis of all solid cancer incidence and mortality in the LSS showed an upward curvature in the radiation dose response among males but not females. The findings suggest that the upward curvature is not specific to males or incidence data, and may depend on the composition of cancer sites, age at exposure, or time.
RADIATION RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Dermatology
Michael R. Sargen, Elizabeth K. Cahoon, Kelly J. Yu, Margaret M. Madeleine, Yun Zeng, Judy R. Rees, Charles F. Lynch, Eric A. Engels
Summary: This study characterized the spectrum of nonkeratinocyte skin cancers and identified risk factors in solid organ transplant recipients. The findings suggest that viruses, UV radiation exposure, and immunosuppression are associated with the development of skin cancer in this population.
Article
Oncology
Jim Z. Mai, Cari M. Kitahara, Michael R. Sargen, Mark P. Little, Bruce H. Alexander, Martha S. Linet, Margaret A. Tucker, Elizabeth K. Cahoon
Summary: This study found no significant association between NSAID use and melanoma risk, even in sun-sensitive subgroups.
CANCER PREVENTION RESEARCH
(2022)
Correction
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Mark P. Little, Elizabeth K. Cahoon, Natalia Gudzenko, Kiyohiko Mabuchi, Vladimir Drozdovitch, Maureen Hatch, Alina V. Brenner, Vibha Vij, Konstantin Chizhov, Elena Bakhanova, Natalia Trotsyuk, Victor Kryuchkov, Ivan Golovanov, Vadim Chumak, Dimitry Bazyka
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF EPIDEMIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Vibha Vij, Victor Shpak, Galyna Zamotayeva, Oles Lapikura, Anton Ryzhov, Evgeniy Gorokh, Rui Zhang, Kiyohiko Mabuchi, Mark P. Little, Vladimir Drozdovitch, Konstantin Chizhov, Sergii Masuik, Dale Preston, Mykola Tronko, Elizabeth K. Cahoon
Summary: The radiation-related risk of breast cancer among lactating women after the Chornobyl accident remains uncertain. A study found no significant difference in breast cancer incidence rates between pregnant or lactating women and the general population, but there was a slightly increased risk for women lactating at the time of the accident.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF EPIDEMIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Qianlai Luo, Anna Satcher Johnson, H. Irene Hall, Elizabeth K. Cahoon, Meredith Shiels
Summary: Between 2008 and 2016, the incidence of Kaposi sarcoma among people living with HIV decreased nationally, but nondecreasing trends were observed in some states and among younger and black PLWH.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)