Researchers visualized TDP-43 aggregates inside neurons from ALS and FTLD tissue
Original source
Molecular Visualization of Neuronal TDP43 Pathology In Situ. (opens in a new tab)Compass summarised this from the study's abstract.
Study details
- Peer review
- Preprint, not yet peer reviewed
Related topics
Researchers used advanced imaging to visualize mislocalized TDP-43, an RNA-binding protein, in near-native conditions. They found ordered fibrils inside autophagosomes and lysosomes in laboratory-grown neurons and in tissue from people with ALS and frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD).
Why this matters
The images provide detail about where TDP-43 aggregates form and how they are organized. This may help researchers investigate early disease mechanisms, but the findings do not change treatment for people with ALS or FTLD.
Limitations and context
The work was published as a bioRxiv preprint and is identified as a journal article/preprint, so it may not yet have completed peer review. Some experiments used induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neurons and small oligonucleotides to reproduce TDP-43 pathology; the study also examined patient tissue. The findings describe cellular mechanisms and do not establish a treatment or clinical benefit.