disease

ALS

Entity Detail — Knowledge Graph Node

Understanding Entity Pages

This page aggregates everything SciDEX knows about ALS: its mechanistic relationships (Knowledge Graph edges), hypotheses targeting it, analyses mentioning it, and supporting scientific papers. The interactive graph below shows its immediate neighbors. All content is AI-synthesized from peer-reviewed literature.

17396Connections
30Hypotheses
30Analyses
50Outgoing
50Incoming
0Experiments
20Debates

Summary

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder affecting upper and lower motor neurons. Approximately 10% of cases are familial, with mutations in genes including SOD1, C9orf72, TARDBP (TDP-43), and FUS. ALS pathology involves protein aggregation, RNA processing defects, mitochondrial dysfunction, and neuroinflammation.

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Disease Info
PhasePhase 2
StatusCompleted
DrugAmiloride (amiloride hydrochloride)
Dosage10-20 mg daily
Patient PopulationAdults with definite or probable ALS
Duration12 months
ClinicalTrials.gov IdentifierNCT00879710
ASIC InhibitionBlocks acid-sensing ion channels[@waldmann2019]
Sodium ChannelsModulates voltage-gated sodium channels
Calcium ChannelsAffects calcium channel function
pH SensitivityReduces acid-induced neuronal damage
Glutamate ReductionMay reduce excitotoxic damage
Associated Genes5-HT1AR, AADC, ABCA1, ABCA7, ABCB1, ABCD3, ABCG1, ACE
Therapeutic Agentsantioxidant interventions, Antioxidants, Anti-oxidant Therapies, Antisense Oligonucleotides, Edavarone, Estradiol
SciDEX Hypotheses28 hypotheses
KG Connections8143 knowledge graph edges
DatabasesOMIMOrphanetClinicalTrialsPubMed

Wiki Pages (21)

Knowledge base pages for this entity

Canonical Page

amiloride-als

clinical_trial · 3477 words

Validated Hypothesis: Microglial AIM2 Inflammasome as the Primary Driver of TDP-43 Proteinopathy Neuroinflammation in ALS/FTD

hypothesis · 5607 words

ALS Failed Approaches Analysis

mechanism · 4973 words

Rapamycin ALS Trial - mTOR Inhibition for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

clinical · 4511 words

Epigenetic Dysregulation Comparison -- AD/PD/ALS/FTD/HD

mechanism · 4361 words

Pre-symptomatic Conversion Windows in ALS Genetic Risk Carriers

mechanism · 4322 words

Pathway Diagram

graph TD
    subgraph Pathology["Pathology"]
        ALS["ALS"] -->|"associated with"| FTD["FTD"]
        ALS["ALS"] -->|"associated with"| NEURON["NEURON"]
        ALS["ALS"] -->|"associated with"| TAU["TAU"]
        ALS["ALS"] -->|"associated with"| MICROGLIA["MICROGLIA"]
        ALS["ALS"] -->|"associated with"| Als["Als"]
        ALS["ALS"] -->|"associated with"| Amyotrophic_Lateral_Sclerosis["Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis"]
        ALS["ALS"] -->|"associated with"| Autophagy["Autophagy"]
        C9ORF72["C9ORF72"] -->|"causes"| ALS["ALS"]
        SOD1["SOD1"] -->|"causes"| ALS["ALS"]
        OXIDATIVE_STRESS["OXIDATIVE STRESS"] -->|"associated with"| ALS["ALS"]
        AXONAL_TRANSPORT_DEFECTS["AXONAL TRANSPORT DEFECTS"] -->|"associated with"| ALS["ALS"]
        AMYOTROPHIC_LATERAL_SCLEROSIS["AMYOTROPHIC LATERAL SCLEROSIS"] -->|"associated with"| ALS["ALS"]
    end
    subgraph Signaling["Signaling"]
        ALS["ALS"] -->|"activates"| Neurodegeneration["Neurodegeneration"]
        ALS["ALS"] -->|"activates"| Als_1["Als"]
    end
    subgraph Therapeutic["Therapeutic"]
        NEURODEGENERATIVE_DISEASES["NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASES"] -->|"therapeutic target"| ALS["ALS"]
    end
    style ALS fill:#ef5350,stroke:#4fc3f7,stroke-width:3px,color:#e0e0e0,font-weight:bold
    style FTD fill:#ef5350,stroke:#4fc3f7,stroke-width:1px,color:#e0e0e0
    style NEURON fill:#4a1a6b,stroke:#4fc3f7,stroke-width:1px,color:#e0e0e0
    style TAU fill:#4a1a6b,stroke:#4fc3f7,stroke-width:1px,color:#e0e0e0
    style MICROGLIA fill:#4a1a6b,stroke:#4fc3f7,stroke-width:1px,color:#e0e0e0
    style Als fill:#ef5350,stroke:#4fc3f7,stroke-width:1px,color:#e0e0e0
    style Amyotrophic_Lateral_Sclerosis fill:#ef5350,stroke:#4fc3f7,stroke-width:1px,color:#e0e0e0
    style Neurodegeneration fill:#ef5350,stroke:#4fc3f7,stroke-width:1px,color:#e0e0e0
    style Als_1 fill:#ef5350,stroke:#4fc3f7,stroke-width:1px,color:#e0e0e0
    style Autophagy fill:#1b5e20,stroke:#4fc3f7,stroke-width:1px,color:#e0e0e0
    style C9ORF72 fill:#4a1a6b,stroke:#4fc3f7,stroke-width:1px,color:#e0e0e0
    style SOD1 fill:#4a1a6b,stroke:#4fc3f7,stroke-width:1px,color:#e0e0e0
    style OXIDATIVE_STRESS fill:#4a1a6b,stroke:#4fc3f7,stroke-width:1px,color:#e0e0e0
    style AXONAL_TRANSPORT_DEFECTS fill:#4a1a6b,stroke:#4fc3f7,stroke-width:1px,color:#e0e0e0
    style AMYOTROPHIC_LATERAL_SCLEROSIS fill:#4a1a6b,stroke:#4fc3f7,stroke-width:1px,color:#e0e0e0
    style NEURODEGENERATIVE_DISEASES fill:#4a1a6b,stroke:#4fc3f7,stroke-width:1px,color:#e0e0e0

Outgoing (4767)

TargetRelationTypeStr
Synaptic Plasticityregulatespathway1.00
Er Stressactivatespathway1.00
Mtortherapeutic_targetpathway1.00
Immune Responseregulatespathway1.00
Autophagyregulatespathway1.00

Incoming (12629)

SourceRelationTypeStr
entities-hepcidinassociated_withwiki0.00
entities-rosassociated_withwiki0.00
entities-atp7b-geneassociated_withwiki0.00
entities-reactive-oxygen-speciesassociated_withwiki0.00
entities-astrocytesassociated_withwiki0.00

Targeting Hypotheses (30)

Hypotheses where this entity is a therapeutic target

HypothesisScoreDiseaseAnalysis
eIF2α Phosphorylation Imbalance Creates Integrated Stress Re 0.896 als -
TBK1 Loss Locks Microglia in an Aged/Senescent Transcription 0.878 als What are the mechanisms by which microgl
RBM45 Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation Dominance Hijacks RNA P 0.868 als -
SFPQ Paralog Displacement Triggers Cryptic Polyadenylation a 0.864 als -
hnRNP A2/B1 Staufen2-Mediated Axonal RNA Granule Transport F 0.851 als -
ATM Kinase Hyperactivation Triggers DNA Damage Response Over 0.837 als -
TDP-43 RNA-proteostasis failure across ALS, FTD, and AD/LATE 0.828 multi Cross-disease neurodegeneration mechanis
Microglial AIM2 Inflammasome as the Primary Driver of TDP-43 0.824 neurodegeneration What are the mechanisms by which gut mic
GLE1-Mediated mRNA Export Defect Creates Translation-Compete 0.823 als -
STING Antagonists as ALS Therapeutics: Drug Repurposing 0.821 neuroinflammation How does chronic cGAS/STING activation d
C9ORF72 autophagy-lysosome collapse across ALS and FTD 0.816 multi Cross-disease neurodegeneration mechanis
TIA1 Low-Complexity Domain Oxidation Drives Aberrant Stress 0.810 als -
TREM2-APOE microglial state switching across AD, ALS, and PD 0.804 multi Cross-disease neurodegeneration mechanis
MATR3 Nuclear Body Disruption Impairs RNA Processing Hubs an 0.801 als -
PINK1/Parkin mitophagy failure across PD, AD, and ALS 0.796 multi Cross-disease neurodegeneration mechanis
HDAC6 Inhibition for Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease and ALS 0.793 neurodegeneration Test
Therapeutic Window Exists Because Amplified Signals (Not Bas 0.780 neurodegeneration Do pathogenic LRRK2 mutations amplify vo
Stress-granule RNA-binding protein phase transition across A 0.780 multi Cross-disease neurodegeneration mechanis
TBK1-OPTN-p62 selective autophagy failure across ALS, FTD, a 0.776 multi Cross-disease neurodegeneration mechanis
ASO-mediated reduction of toxic C9orf72 dipeptide repeat pro 0.760 neurodegeneration Test
STMN2 Cryptic Exon Inclusion is the Earliest Loss-of-Functio 0.760 als Causal Sequence of TDP-43 Nuclear Cleara
GRN/progranulin lysosomal insufficiency across FTD, ALS-spec 0.756 multi Cross-disease neurodegeneration mechanis
GPX4 reserve failure gates selective ALS motor-neuron ferrop 0.745 neurodegeneration Ferroptosis in ALS motor neuron vulnerab
C9orf72 ASO Treatment Reverses TDP-43 Pathology in ALS/FTD 0.720 neurodegeneration Test Hypothesis Fixtures
SASP-Secreted MMP-9 from Senescent Microglia Generates Patho 0.718 als What are the mechanisms by which microgl
EZH2-Mediated H3K27me3 Spreading in Senescent ALS Microglia 0.714 als What are the mechanisms by which microgl
Liquid-to-Solid Transition Pathology Reveals Granule Weak Po 0.712 neurodegeneration What determines the specificity of RNA-p
ACSL4 lipid remodeling creates ferroptosis-prone ALS membran 0.710 neurodegeneration Ferroptosis in ALS motor neuron vulnerab
TBK1 Loss Triggers Astrocyte-to-Neuron Senescence Propagatio 0.000 als What are the mechanisms by which microgl
eIF2α Phosphorylation Imbalance Disrupts Mitochondrial Prote 0.000 als -

Mentioning Analyses (30)

Scientific analyses that reference this entity

Cross-disease neurodegeneration mechanism synthesis

neurodegeneration | 2026-04-28 | 17 hypotheses Top: 0.828

Causal Sequence of TDP-43 Nuclear Clearance to Cytoplasmic Aggregation in ALS Mo

neurodegeneration | 2026-04-27 | 4 hypotheses Top: 0.760

Cell-Autonomous vs Non-Cell-Autonomous Mechanisms of Mutant FUS Neuromuscular De

neurodegeneration | 2026-04-27 | 3 hypotheses Top: 0.626

Oxidative Stress Upstream of TDP-43 Mislocalization in ALS Motor Neurons

neurodegeneration | 2026-04-27 | 0 hypotheses

CCL2-CCR2 Axis at NMJ: Mechanism of Selective Motor Neuron Vulnerability in ALS

neurodegeneration | 2026-04-27 | 4 hypotheses Top: 0.682

Experiments (0)

Experimental studies targeting or related to this entity

ExperimentTypeDiseaseScoreFeasibilityModelStatusEst. Cost
No experiments found

Related Papers (18)

Scientific publications cited in analyses involving this entity

Title & PMIDAuthorsJournalYearCitations
Small molecule-driven NLRP3 inflammation inhibition via interplay between ubiqui [PMID:30966861] ["Han X", "Sun S", "Sun Y", "Song Q", "Z Autophagy 2020 1
Activation of stimulator of interferon genes (STING) and inhibition of vascular [PMID:41380972] Wang Y, Hou Y, Han J, Zhang Z, Cheng Y e J Biol Chem 2026 0
cGAS-STING signaling in Alzheimer's disease: Microglial mechanisms and therapeut [PMID:41481960] Fazal F, Dar NJ, Ahamad S, Khan S, Bano Mol Aspects Med 2026 0
Opportunities and challenges of targeting cGAS-STING in cancer. [PMID:41486397] Lu C, Wang W, Fu YX Nat Rev Cancer 2026 0
cGAS-STING activation in Parkinson's Disease: From mechanisms to Disease-Modifyi [PMID:41500413] Solomon J, Mandal S, Aran KR Gene 2026 0
STING-NF-κB signaling builds an influenza spillover barrier. [PMID:41747053] Ye R, Wang S, Hu Y, Pan Y, Zheng W et al Science 2026 0
The cGAS-STING signaling pathway: A central regulator and novel therapeutic targ [PMID:41765111] Jiang H, Ji Y, Shang T, Qi L, Li Z et al Biochem Pharmacol 2026 0
cGAS-STING and PANoptosis: Interplay, Underlying Mechanisms, and Therapeutic Tar [PMID:42016387] Wang Y, Chen J, Feng W, Li N, Zhang X et Drug Des Devel Ther 2026 0
Inhibition of autophagy in microglia and macrophages exacerbates innate immune r [PMID:36652438] Hegdekar N, Sarkar C, Bustos S, Ritzel R Autophagy 2023 0
Inflammasome assembly in neurodegenerative diseases. [PMID:37633753] Singh J, Habean ML, Panicker N Trends in neurosciences 2023 0
NLRP3/caspase-1/GSDMD-mediated pyroptosis exerts a crucial role in astrocyte pat [PMID:34877938] Li S, Sun Y, Song M, Song Y, Fang Y, Zha JCI insight 2021 0
Premature polyadenylation-mediated loss of stathmin-2 is a hallmark of TDP-43-de [PMID:30643298] Melamed Ze'ev; López-Erauskin Jone; Nature neuroscience 2019 0
Premature polyadenylation-mediated loss of stathmin-2 is a hallmark of TDP-43-de [PMID:30643298] Melamed Z, López-Erauskin J, Baughn MW, Nature neuroscience 2019 0
Modeling sporadic ALS in iPSC-derived motor neurons identifies a potential thera [PMID:30127392] Fujimori K, Ishikawa M, Otomo A, Atsuta Nature medicine 2018 0
Inflammasome inhibition prevents α-synuclein pathology and dopaminergic neurodeg [PMID:30381407] Gordon R, Albornoz EA, Christie DC, Lang Science translational medicine 2018 0
A hexanucleotide repeat expansion in C9ORF72 is the cause of chromosome 9p21-lin [PMID:21944779] Unknown Neuron 2011 0
TDP-43 immunoreactivity in hippocampal sclerosis and Alzheimer's disease. [PMID:17469117] Unknown Annals of neurology 2007 0
Ubiquitinated TDP-43 in frontotemporal lobar degeneration and amyotrophic latera [PMID:17023659] Unknown Science (New York, N.Y.) 2006 0

Debates (20)

Multi-agent debates referencing this entity

Structured research brief: Stathmin-2 Splice Switching to Prevent Axonal Degener

archived · Rounds: 2 · Score: 0.73 · 2026-04-28

Which AD, PD, ALS, and FTD mechanisms recur across disease boundaries and yield

closed · Rounds: 4 · Score: 0.72 · 2026-04-28

Test question for preregistration

closed · Rounds: 4 · Score: 0.77 · 2026-04-28

Is microglial priming (TREM2/CX3CR1/complement-C1q) genuinely causally upstream

closed · Rounds: 4 · Score: 0.64 · 2026-04-28

What are the relative contributions of cell-autonomous motor neuron mechanisms v

closed · Rounds: 4 · Score: 0.67 · 2026-04-28

How does the CCL2-CCR2 chemokine axis at the neuromuscular junction drive select

closed · Rounds: 4 · Score: 0.67 · 2026-04-28

What is the precise causal sequence of molecular events linking TDP-43 nuclear c

closed · Rounds: 4 · Score: 0.67 · 2026-04-28

Can targeting oxidative stress pathways (NRF2, SOD1, mitochondrial ROS) upstream

closed · Rounds: 6 · Score: 0.62 · 2026-04-27

Debate: TREM2 Microglial Activation Rescues Amyloid Clearance in AD

closed · Rounds: 4 · Score: 0.75 · 2026-04-27

Debate: TBK1 Loss Locks Microglia in an Aged/Senescent Transcriptional State, Fu

closed · Rounds: 4 · Score: 0.33 · 2026-04-27

Related Research

Hypotheses and analyses mentioning ALS in their description or question text

TDP-43 RNA-proteostasis failure across ALS, FTD, and AD/LATE

Score: 0.828 · multi · 2026-04-28

Shared mechanism across ALS, FTD, AD/LATE: Nuclear TDP-43 loss impairs RNA splicing and axonal maintenance; the same mis

Microglial AIM2 Inflammasome as the Primary Driver of TDP-43 Proteinopathy Neuro

Score: 0.824 · neurodegeneration · 2026-04-05

## Mechanistic Overview Microglial AIM2 Inflammasome as the Primary Driver of TDP-43 Proteinopathy Neuroinflammation in

STING Antagonists as ALS Therapeutics: Drug Repurposing

Score: 0.821 · neuroinflammation · 2026-04-21

## **Molecular Mechanism and Rationale** The cGAS-STING (Cyclic GMP-AMP Synthase - Stimulator of Interferon Genes) path

C9ORF72 autophagy-lysosome collapse across ALS and FTD

Score: 0.816 · multi · 2026-04-28

Shared mechanism across ALS, FTD: C9ORF72 repeat expansion creates toxic RNA/dipeptide stress while also weakening vesic

TREM2-APOE microglial state switching across AD, ALS, and PD

Score: 0.804 · multi · 2026-04-28

Shared mechanism across AD, ALS, PD: TREM2-APOE signaling shifts microglia into a disease-associated state that can clea

PINK1/Parkin mitophagy failure across PD, AD, and ALS

Score: 0.796 · multi · 2026-04-28

Shared mechanism across PD, AD, ALS: Mitochondrial damage normally recruits PINK1/Parkin quality control; failure of thi

HDAC6 Inhibition for Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease and ALS

Score: 0.793 · neurodegeneration · 2026-05-06

HDAC6 deacetylates α-tubulin and regulates cytoskeletal dynamics. HDAC6 overexpression causes axonal transport defects.

Therapeutic Window Exists Because Amplified Signals (Not Baseline) Drive Pathoge

Score: 0.780 · neurodegeneration · 2026-04-26

G2019S basal RAB10 phosphorylation elevation may be secondary; true pathogenic driver is amplified stress-response signa

Stress-granule RNA-binding protein phase transition across ALS and FTD

Score: 0.780 · multi · 2026-04-28

Shared mechanism across ALS, FTD: Low-complexity RNA-binding proteins normally form reversible stress granules, but ALS/

TBK1-OPTN-p62 selective autophagy failure across ALS, FTD, and PD-like proteotox

Score: 0.776 · multi · 2026-04-28

Shared mechanism across ALS, FTD, PD: TBK1 coordinates selective autophagy adaptors and innate immune tone. TBK1 haploin

ASO-mediated reduction of toxic C9orf72 dipeptide repeat proteins in ALS/FTD

Score: 0.760 · neurodegeneration · 2026-05-01

Antisense oligonucleotides targeting expanded GGGGCC repeats in C9orf72 offer the strongest therapeutic hypothesis by si