Analysis of efficacy of combined therapy of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in mSOD1 transgenic mice model

Abstract

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a progressive, fatal neurode-generative disease characterized by damage of the motor neurons of the brain and spinal cord. The lack of effective methods of therapy of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is one of the most important problems of contemporary medicine. The aim of this work was to study the effectiveness of combined use of the antioxidant drug edaravone and gene-cell therapy with umbilical cord blood mononuclear cells producing vascular endothelial growth factor, glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor and neural cell adhesion molecule in the model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis on mSOD1 transgenic mice. Analysis of survival dynamics of mSOD1 transgenic mice showed that gene-cell therapy is more effective than edaravone therapy or combined therapy. Conducting of behavioral tests showed that all types of used therapy are able to support the parameters of horizontal activity and grip strength test of mSOD1 mice during 8 weeks from beginning of the therapy at the level corresponding to wild type mice. Conducted study showed that gene-cell therapy with use of umbilical cord blood mononuclear cells producing vascular endothelial growth factor, glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor and neural cell adhesion molecule is more effective than antioxidant therapy with edaravone or combined (antioxidant and gene-cell) therapy. These findings could be used in studies aimed on development of treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.