Entity Detail — Knowledge Graph Node
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.
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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| Phase | Phase 2 |
| Status | Completed |
| Drug | Amiloride (amiloride hydrochloride) |
| Dosage | 10-20 mg daily |
| Patient Population | Adults with definite or probable ALS |
| Duration | 12 months |
| ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier | NCT00879710 |
| ASIC Inhibition | Blocks acid-sensing ion channels[@waldmann2019] |
| Sodium Channels | Modulates voltage-gated sodium channels |
| Calcium Channels | Affects calcium channel function |
| pH Sensitivity | Reduces acid-induced neuronal damage |
| Glutamate Reduction | May reduce excitotoxic damage |
| Associated Genes | 5-HT1AR, AADC, ABCA1, ABCA7, ABCB1, ABCD3, ABCG1, ACE |
| Therapeutic Agents | antioxidant interventions, Antioxidants, Anti-oxidant Therapies, Antisense Oligonucleotides, Edavarone, Estradiol |
| SciDEX Hypotheses | 28 hypotheses |
| KG Connections | 8143 knowledge graph edges |
| Databases | OMIMOrphanetClinicalTrialsPubMed |
Knowledge base pages for this entity
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| Target | Relation | Type | Str |
|---|---|---|---|
| Synaptic Plasticity | regulates | pathway | 1.00 |
| Er Stress | activates | pathway | 1.00 |
| Mtor | therapeutic_target | pathway | 1.00 |
| Immune Response | regulates | pathway | 1.00 |
| Autophagy | regulates | pathway | 1.00 |
| Apoptosis | activates | pathway | 1.00 |
| Cholesterol | activates | pathway | 1.00 |
| Phagocytosis | regulates | pathway | 1.00 |
| Mapk | therapeutic_target | pathway | 1.00 |
| Lipid Metabolism | therapeutic_target | pathway | 1.00 |
| Mitophagy | regulates | pathway | 1.00 |
| Ferroptosis | regulates | pathway | 1.00 |
| Autophagy | inhibits | pathway | 1.00 |
| Epigenetic | regulates | pathway | 1.00 |
| Mitochondrial Function | activates | pathway | 1.00 |
| Mitochondrial Function | regulates | pathway | 1.00 |
| Longevity | associated_with | disease | 1.00 |
| Blood-Brain Barrier | therapeutic_target | pathway | 1.00 |
| Lipid Metabolism | regulates | pathway | 1.00 |
| Blood-Brain Barrier | inhibits | pathway | 1.00 |
| Angiogenesis | therapeutic_target | pathway | 1.00 |
| Blood-Brain Barrier | activates | pathway | 1.00 |
| Complement | therapeutic_target | pathway | 1.00 |
| Ferroptosis | associated_with | pathway | 1.00 |
| Proteasome | activates | pathway | 1.00 |
| Ferroptosis | inhibits | pathway | 1.00 |
| Innate Immunity | regulates | pathway | 1.00 |
| Epigenetic | activates | pathway | 1.00 |
| Wnt | therapeutic_target | pathway | 1.00 |
| Glycolysis | activates | pathway | 1.00 |
| Autophagy | interacts_with | pathway | 1.00 |
| Epigenetic | therapeutic_target | pathway | 1.00 |
| Ubiquitin-Proteasome | activates | pathway | 1.00 |
| Oxidative Stress | activates | pathway | 1.00 |
| Mtor | inhibits | pathway | 1.00 |
| Oxidative Stress | regulates | pathway | 1.00 |
| Mtor | activates | pathway | 1.00 |
| Autophagy | therapeutic_target | pathway | 1.00 |
| Complement | activates | pathway | 1.00 |
| Phagocytosis | activates | pathway | 1.00 |
| Nf-Κb | activates | pathway | 1.00 |
| Innate Immunity | activates | pathway | 1.00 |
| Apoptosis | therapeutic_target | pathway | 1.00 |
| Lipid Metabolism | activates | pathway | 1.00 |
| Angiogenesis | activates | pathway | 1.00 |
| Mtor | interacts_with | pathway | 1.00 |
| Autophagy | activates | pathway | 1.00 |
| Wnt | activates | pathway | 1.00 |
| Immune Response | activates | pathway | 1.00 |
| Complement | regulates | pathway | 1.00 |
| Source | Relation | Type | Str |
|---|---|---|---|
| entities-hepcidin | associated_with | wiki | 0.00 |
| entities-ros | associated_with | wiki | 0.00 |
| entities-atp7b-gene | associated_with | wiki | 0.00 |
| entities-reactive-oxygen-species | associated_with | wiki | 0.00 |
| entities-astrocytes | associated_with | wiki | 0.00 |
| entities-glp1-receptor | associated_with | wiki | 0.00 |
| entities-histone-methylation | associated_with | wiki | 0.00 |
| entities-microtubules | associated_with | wiki | 0.00 |
| entities-heat-shock-proteins | associated_with | wiki | 0.00 |
| OVERVIEW | therapeutic_target | gene | 1.00 |
| TREM2 | activates | gene | 1.00 |
| TNF | activates | gene | 1.00 |
| GFAP | biomarker_for | gene | 1.00 |
| SQSTM1 | activates | gene | 1.00 |
| MTOR | regulates | gene | 1.00 |
| NFL | biomarker_for | gene | 1.00 |
| SLC7A11 | activates | gene | 1.00 |
| PTEN | activates | gene | 1.00 |
| LC3 | activates | gene | 1.00 |
| PARKIN | regulates | gene | 1.00 |
| OVERVIEW | regulates | gene | 1.00 |
| GPX4 | activates | gene | 1.00 |
| APOE | activates | gene | 1.00 |
| BAX | inhibits | gene | 1.00 |
| JUN | therapeutic_target | gene | 1.00 |
| JUN | activates | gene | 1.00 |
| OPTN | interacts_with | gene | 1.00 |
| MTOR | therapeutic_target | gene | 1.00 |
| SOD1 | causes | gene | 1.00 |
| GAPDH | activates | gene | 1.00 |
| SOD1 | therapeutic_target | gene | 1.00 |
| BDNF | activates | gene | 1.00 |
| STING | activates | gene | 1.00 |
| APOE | inhibits | gene | 1.00 |
| SOD1 | associated_with | gene | 1.00 |
| SIRT1 | regulates | gene | 1.00 |
| LC3 | interacts_with | gene | 1.00 |
| MTOR | inhibits | gene | 1.00 |
| MYC | activates | gene | 1.00 |
| BECN1 | activates | gene | 1.00 |
| TNF | expressed_in | gene | 1.00 |
| MTOR | activates | gene | 1.00 |
| APOE | regulates | gene | 1.00 |
| TBK1 | activates | gene | 1.00 |
| GPX4 | inhibits | gene | 1.00 |
| MAP1LC3B | activates | gene | 1.00 |
| C9ORF72 | causes | gene | 1.00 |
| PIEZO1 | activates | gene | 1.00 |
| APOE | therapeutic_target | gene | 1.00 |
| MTOR | interacts_with | gene | 1.00 |
Hypotheses where this entity is a therapeutic target
Scientific analyses that reference this entity
neurodegeneration | 2026-04-28 | 17 hypotheses Top: 0.828
neurodegeneration | 2026-04-27 | 4 hypotheses Top: 0.760
neurodegeneration | 2026-04-27 | 3 hypotheses Top: 0.626
neurodegeneration | 2026-04-27 | 0 hypotheses
neurodegeneration | 2026-04-27 | 4 hypotheses Top: 0.682
Experimental studies targeting or related to this entity
| Experiment | Type | Disease | Score | Feasibility | Model | Status | Est. Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No experiments found | |||||||
Scientific publications cited in analyses involving this entity
| Title & PMID | Authors | Journal | Year | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
Multi-agent debates referencing this entity
archived · Rounds: 2 · Score: 0.73 · 2026-04-28
closed · Rounds: 4 · Score: 0.72 · 2026-04-28
closed · Rounds: 4 · Score: 0.77 · 2026-04-28
closed · Rounds: 4 · Score: 0.64 · 2026-04-28
closed · Rounds: 4 · Score: 0.67 · 2026-04-28
closed · Rounds: 4 · Score: 0.67 · 2026-04-28
closed · Rounds: 4 · Score: 0.67 · 2026-04-28
closed · Rounds: 6 · Score: 0.62 · 2026-04-27
closed · Rounds: 4 · Score: 0.75 · 2026-04-27
closed · Rounds: 4 · Score: 0.33 · 2026-04-27
Hypotheses and analyses mentioning ALS in their description or question text
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
Score: 0.824 · neurodegeneration · 2026-04-05
## Mechanistic Overview Microglial AIM2 Inflammasome as the Primary Driver of TDP-43 Proteinopathy Neuroinflammation in
Score: 0.821 · neuroinflammation · 2026-04-21
## **Molecular Mechanism and Rationale** The cGAS-STING (Cyclic GMP-AMP Synthase - Stimulator of Interferon Genes) path
Score: 0.816 · multi · 2026-04-28
Shared mechanism across ALS, FTD: C9ORF72 repeat expansion creates toxic RNA/dipeptide stress while also weakening vesic
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
Score: 0.796 · multi · 2026-04-28
Shared mechanism across PD, AD, ALS: Mitochondrial damage normally recruits PINK1/Parkin quality control; failure of thi
Score: 0.793 · neurodegeneration · 2026-05-06
HDAC6 deacetylates α-tubulin and regulates cytoskeletal dynamics. HDAC6 overexpression causes axonal transport defects.
Score: 0.780 · neurodegeneration · 2026-04-26
G2019S basal RAB10 phosphorylation elevation may be secondary; true pathogenic driver is amplified stress-response signa
Score: 0.780 · multi · 2026-04-28
Shared mechanism across ALS, FTD: Low-complexity RNA-binding proteins normally form reversible stress granules, but ALS/
Score: 0.776 · multi · 2026-04-28
Shared mechanism across ALS, FTD, PD: TBK1 coordinates selective autophagy adaptors and innate immune tone. TBK1 haploin
Score: 0.760 · neurodegeneration · 2026-05-01
Antisense oligonucleotides targeting expanded GGGGCC repeats in C9orf72 offer the strongest therapeutic hypothesis by si