1. The ASK1-specific inhibitors K811 and K812 prolong survival in a mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
- Author
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Takao Fujisawa, Masayoshi Nakoji, Motoo Takahashi, Yuka Tsukamoto, Hideki Nishitoh, Isao Naguro, Kengo Homma, Yuuki Hayashi, Megumi Endo, Hiroshi Kodaira, Namiko Yamaguchi, and Hidenori Ichijo
- Subjects
0301 basic medicine ,Genetically modified mouse ,Male ,SOD1 ,Administration, Oral ,Antineoplastic Agents ,Mice, Transgenic ,Biology ,MAP Kinase Kinase Kinase 5 ,Heterocyclic Compounds, 4 or More Rings ,Pathogenesis ,03 medical and health sciences ,Mice ,Genetics ,medicine ,Animals ,ASK1 ,Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis ,Protein kinase A ,Molecular Biology ,Genetics (clinical) ,Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis ,nutritional and metabolic diseases ,General Medicine ,Motor neuron ,medicine.disease ,Lumbar Spinal Cord ,Disease Models, Animal ,030104 developmental biology ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,Treatment Outcome ,Cancer research - Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease with no cure. To develop effective treatments for this devastating disease, an appropriate strategy for targeting the molecule responsible for the pathogenesis of ALS is needed. We previously reported that mutant SOD1 protein causes motor neuron death through activation of ASK1, a mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase. Additionally, we recently developed K811 and K812, which are selective inhibitors for ASK1. Here, we report the effect of K811 and K812 in a mouse model of ALS (SOD1(G93A) transgenic mice). Oral administration of K811 or K812 significantly extended the life span of SOD1(G93A) transgenic mice (1.06 and 1.08% improvement in survival). Moreover, ASK1 activation observed in the lumbar spinal cord of mice at the disease progression stage was markedly decreased in the K811- and K812-treated groups. In parallel, immunohistochemical analysis revealed that K811 and K812 treatment inhibited glial activation in the lumbar spinal cord of SOD1(G93A) transgenic mice. These results reinforce the importance of ASK1 as a therapeutic target for ALS treatment.
- Published
- 2015