Grant: Operating Grant - Priority Announcement: ALS Canada Research Fund

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) are two diseases that can occur separately or together in families and individuals. TARDBP, FUS and SOD1 have been reported to cause ALS. Very recently, a large repeat expansion (GGGGCC) in the C9orf72 gene has been reported as the most common cause of familial and sporadic ALS and FTD. We propose to examine the spinal cord of sporadic ALS cases and identify somatic mutation of the c9orf72 repeat and somatic mutations in TARDBP, FUS or SOD1. Identifying such mechanisms may help to better understand the disease and lead to novel therapeutic avenues.