PROVENZANO , Francesca

In the last two decades, there has been increasing evidence supporting non-neuronal cells as active contributors to neurodegenerative disorders. Among glial cells, astrocytes play a pivotal role in driving amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) progression, leading the scientific community to focus on the "astrocytic signature" in ALS. Here, we...

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is an adult-onset neurodegenerative disease that develops due to motor neuron death. Several mechanisms occur supporting neurodegeneration, including mitochondrial dysfunction. Recently, we demonstrated that the synaptosomes from the spinal cord of SOD1G93A mice, an in vitro model of presynapses, displayed impaired...

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease due to motor neuron (MN) loss. The mechanisms causing selective MN death are largely unknown, thus prejudicing successful pharmacological treatments. Major causes of MN damage are effects downstream of the abnormal glutamate (Glu) neurotransmission. Group I metabotropic...

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease with no effective cure. Astrocytes display a toxic phenotype in ALS and contribute to motoneuron (MN) degeneration. Modulating astrocytes' neurotoxicity can reduce MN death. Our previous studies showed the beneficial effect of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) administration in...

The pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is not fully clarified, although excessive glutamate (Glu) transmission and the downstream cytotoxic cascades are major mechanisms for motor neuron death. Two metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGlu1 and mGlu5) are overexpressed in ALS and regulate cellular disease processes. Expression and...

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive degeneration of motor neurons (MNs). Astrocytes display a toxic phenotype in ALS, which results in MN damage. Glutamate (Glu)-mediated excitotoxicity and group I metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) play a pathological role in the disease...