Proteomic analysis of cerebrospinal fluid of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients in the presence of autologous bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells.

BACKGROUND

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal and rapidly progressive motoneuron degenerative disorder. There are still no drugs capable of slowing disease evolution or improving life quality of ALS patients. Thus, autologous stem cell therapy has emerged as an alternative treatment regime to be investigated in clinical ALS.

METHOD

Using Proteomics and Protein-Protein Interaction Network analyses combined with bioinformatics, the possible cellular mechanisms and molecular targets related to mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs, 1 × 10 cells/kg, intrathecally in the lumbar region of the spine) were investigated in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of ALS patients who received intrathecal infusions of autologous bone marrow-derived MSCs thirty days after cell therapy. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD053129.

RESULTS

Proteomics revealed 220 deregulated proteins in CSF of ALS subjects treated with MSCs compared to CSF collected from the same patients prior to MSCs infusion. Bioinformatics enriched analyses highlighted events of Extracellular matrix and Cell adhesion molecules as well as related key targets APOA1, APOE, APP, C4A, C5, FGA, FGB, FGG and PLG in the CSF of cell treated ALS subjects.

CONCLUSIONS

Extracellular matrix and cell adhesion molecules as well as their related highlighted components have emerged as key targets of autologous MSCs in CSF of ALS patients.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Clinicaltrial.gov identifier NCT0291768. Registered 28 September 2016.