Methylcobalamin prevents mutant superoxide dismutase-1-induced motor neuron death in vitro
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is an incurable progressive neurodegenerative disorder that causes motor dysfunction. Treatments and drugs that slow progression of ALS have garnered great interest. In the present study, we show that the vitamin B12 analog methylcobalamin
(MBL) effectively and dose dependently prevented embryonic stem cell-derived motor neuron death induced by cocultivation with astrocytes expressing mutant human superoxide dismutase-1 (G93A). Moreover, cotreatment of MBL with a conventional ALS drug, riluzole, further enhanced survival of
motor neurons in this in-vitro ALS model. Our results show the potential use of MBL as a treatment for ALS and suggest a possible combination therapy strategy with other types of approved ALS drugs.
Keywords: amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; methylcobalamin; pluripotent stem cell; riluzole; superoxide dismutase-1
Document Type: Research Article
Affiliations: Departments of Developmental Neurobiology
Publication date: 18 January 2017
- Access Key
- Free content
- Partial Free content
- New content
- Open access content
- Partial Open access content
- Subscribed content
- Partial Subscribed content
- Free trial content