Lenalidomide (Revlimid) administration at symptom onset is neuroprotective in a mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Exp Neurol. 2009 Nov;220(1):191-7. doi: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2009.08.028. Epub 2009 Sep 4.

Abstract

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease which is currently untreatable. Inflammation plays a major role in the pathogenesis of motor neuron death in ALS. Pro-inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and Fas ligand (FasL) are amongst the most important mediators of neuro-inflammation. We have previously demonstrated that elevation of these pro-inflammatory cytokines occurs in both ALS transgenic mice and in human ALS postmortem spinal cord tissues. Lenalidomide is a potent immunomodulatory agent, with the ability to down-regulate pro-inflammatory cytokines and up-regulate anti-inflammatory cytokines. We previously reported the neuroprotective effects of lenalidomide, when treatment was started 2 months prior to onset of disease in the G93A SOD1 transgenic mouse model of ALS. Since in ALS patients, treatment can only begin after the appearance of symptoms, we sought to determine the efficacy of lenalidomide administration starting at symptom onset in the G93A SOD1 mice. We found that lenalidomide treatment extended the survival interval from the age of onset by 18.3 days ( approximately 45%). Additionally, lenalidomide treatment improved rotarod performance, reduced weight loss, and attenuated neuronal cell death in the lumbar spinal cord. Qualitative histological analysis showed that lenalidomide treatment modestly reduced the expression of the proinflammatory cytokines Fas Ligand, IL-1beta, TNF-alpha and CD40 ligand. RNA protection Assay (RPA) on a pre-selected panel of cytokines showed that proinflammatory cytokines were reduced and anti-inflammatory cytokines were up-regulated. These data encourage further clinical evaluation of lenalidomide as therapeutic strategy to block or slow disease progression in human ALS patients.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / drug therapy*
  • Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / immunology*
  • Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / metabolism
  • Animals
  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents / pharmacology
  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents / therapeutic use
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology
  • Antineoplastic Agents / therapeutic use
  • Body Weight / drug effects
  • Body Weight / immunology
  • Cell Survival / drug effects
  • Cell Survival / immunology
  • Cytokines / drug effects
  • Cytokines / metabolism
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Humans
  • Immunologic Factors / pharmacology
  • Immunologic Factors / therapeutic use
  • Lameness, Animal / drug therapy
  • Lameness, Animal / physiopathology
  • Lameness, Animal / prevention & control
  • Lenalidomide
  • Mice
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Motor Neurons / drug effects
  • Motor Neurons / immunology
  • Motor Neurons / pathology
  • Nerve Degeneration / drug therapy
  • Nerve Degeneration / immunology
  • Nerve Degeneration / prevention & control
  • Spinal Cord / drug effects*
  • Spinal Cord / immunology*
  • Spinal Cord / physiopathology
  • Survival Rate
  • Thalidomide / analogs & derivatives*
  • Thalidomide / pharmacology
  • Thalidomide / therapeutic use
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents
  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Cytokines
  • Immunologic Factors
  • Thalidomide
  • Lenalidomide