Search

Spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 (SCA2) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are both associated with a CAG-repeat expansion in ATXN2 and with TDP-43-positive neuronal cytoplasmic inclusions. The two disorders have been viewed as distinct entities, where an intermediate length expansion of 31-33 CAG-repeats is associated with sporadic ALS and a full length expansion of ≥34 CAG-repeats is associated with SCA2. We report the clinical phenotype of ATXN2-positive patients and their relatives, identified in three specialist ALS clinics, which force a reconsideration of this dichotomy. We also report the frequency of ATXN2 expansions in two large cohorts of ALS patients and in a population-matched cohort of controls. We report ten cases of familial ALS in which disease is associated with either an intermediate or a full-length ATXN2 CAG-repeat expansion. Pedigrees and patients feature additional phenotypes including parkinsonism, dementia and essential tremor (ET). We conclude that CAG-repeat expansions in ATXN2 exhibit pleiotropy and are associated with a disease spectrum that includes ALS, SCA2, and parkinsonism; to recognise this complexity we propose the new term 'ATXN2-related neurodegeneration'. We also observed sporadic ALS associated with full-length expansions. We conclude that ATXN2 CAG-repeat expansions, irrespective of length, should be considered a risk factor for ALS. Interrupted CAG-repeats were associated with an ALS phenotype in our data but we also identified ALS cases with uninterrupted expansions. Our findings have relevance for researchers, patients and families linked to CAG-repeat expansions in ATXN2., Competing Interests: Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests. Ethical approval: The study was approved by the South Sheffield Research Ethics Committee. Also, this study followed study protocols approved by Medical Ethical Committees for each of the participating institutions. Written informed consent was obtained from all participating individuals. All methods were performed in accordance with relevant national and international guidelines and regulations., (© 2025. The Author(s).)

Objective: To report the frequency and characteristics of patients diagnosed with primary lateral sclerosis (PLS) with a positive family history for motor neuron diseases (MND) in the Netherlands and to compare our findings to the literature., Methods: Patients were identified through our ongoing, prospective population-based study on MND in The Netherlands, which also includes a standardized collection of patient characteristics, genetic testing, and family history. Only patients meeting the latest consensus criteria for definite PLS were included. The family history was considered positive for MND if any family members had been diagnosed with PLS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)(-FTD), or progressive muscular atrophy (PMA). Additionally, the literature was reviewed on PLS cases in which MND co-occurred within the same family., Results: We identified 392 definite PLS cases, resulting in 9 families with a PLS patient and a positive family history for MND (2.3%). In only one of these pedigrees, a pathogenic variant ( C9orf72 repeat expansion) was found. Our literature review revealed 23 families with a co-occurrence of PLS and MND, with 12 of them having a potentially pathogenic genetic variant., Conclusions: The consistent observation of PLS patients with a positive family history for MND, evident in both our study and the literature, implies the presence of shared underlying genetic factors between PLS and ALS. However, these factors are yet to be elucidated.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease with limited treatment options and an incompletely understood pathophysiology. Although genomewide association studies (GWAS) have advanced our understanding of the disease, the precise manner in which risk polymorphisms contribute to disease pathogenesis remains unclear. Of relevance, GWAS have shown that a polymorphism (rs12608932) in the UNC13A gene is associated with risk for both ALS and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Homozygosity for the C-allele at rs12608932 modifies the ALS phenotype, as these patients are more likely to have bulbar-onset disease, cognitive impairment and FTD at baseline as well as shorter survival. UNC13A is expressed in neuronal tissue and is involved in maintaining synaptic active zones, by enabling the priming and docking of synaptic vesicles. In the absence of functional TDP-43, risk variants in UNC13A lead to the inclusion of a cryptic exon in UNC13A messenger RNA, subsequently leading to nonsense mediated decay, with loss of functional protein. Depletion of UNC13A leads to impaired neurotransmission. Recent discoveries have identified UNC13A as a potential target for therapy development in ALS, with a confirmatory trial with lithium carbonate in UNC13A cases now underway and future approaches with antisense oligonucleotides currently under consideration. Considering UNC13A is a potent phenotypic modifier, it may also impact clinical trial outcomes. This present review describes the path from the initial discovery of UNC13A as a risk gene in ALS to the current therapeutic options being explored and how knowledge of its distinct phenotype needs to be taken into account in future trials., Competing Interests: Competing interests: PVD has served in advisory boards for Biogen, CSL Behring, Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Ferrer, QurAlis, Cytokinetics, Argenx, UCB, Muna Therapeutics, Alector, Augustine Therapeutics, VectorY (paid to institution). LHvdB declares fees to his institution from Biogen, Wave, Amylyx, Ferrer, and Cytokinetics for being on a scientific advisory board; fees to his institution from Amylyx for a lecture; an unrestricted educational grant from Takeda; and is the Chair of ENCALS and TRICALS. MAvE has consulted for Biogen and has received travel grants from Shire (formerly Baxalta) and serves as medical monitor for Ferrer in the ADORE trial (NCT05178810)., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2023. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background: Given the large genetic heterogeneity in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), it seems likely that genetic subgroups may benefit differently from treatment. An exploratory meta-analysis identified that patients homozygous for the C-allele at SNP rs12608932, a single nucleotide polymorphism in the gene UNC13A, had a statistically significant survival benefit when treated with lithium carbonate. We aim to confirm the efficacy of lithium carbonate on the time to death or respiratory insufficiency in patients with ALS homozygous for the C-allele at SNP rs12608932 in UNC13A., Methods: A randomized, group-sequential, event-driven, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial will be conducted in 15 sites across Europe and Australia. Patients will be genotyped for UNC13A; those homozygous for the C-allele at SNP rs12608932 will be eligible. Patients must have a diagnosis of ALS according to the revised El Escorial criteria, and a TRICALS risk-profile score between -6.0 and -2.0. An expected number of 1200 patients will be screened in order to enroll a target sample size of 171 patients. Patients will be randomly allocated in a 2:1 ratio to lithium carbonate or matching placebo, and treated for a maximum duration of 24 months. The primary endpoint is the time to death or respiratory insufficiency, whichever occurs first. Key secondary endpoints include functional decline, respiratory function, quality of life, tolerability, and safety. An interim analysis for futility and efficacy will be conducted after the occurrence of 41 events., Discussion: Lithium carbonate has been proven to be safe and well-tolerated in patients with ALS. Given the favorable safety profile, the potential benefits are considered to outweigh the burden and risks associated with study participation. This study may provide conclusive evidence about the life-prolonging potential of lithium carbonate in a genetic ALS subgroup., Trial Registration: EudraCT number 2020-000579-19 . Registered on 29 March 2021., (© 2022. The Author(s).)