NeuroScience Associates

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS/Lou Gerhig’s Disease)

See Table of Stains appropriate for ALS

 

Overview

Also referred to as Lou Gerhig’s Disease, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive, neurodegenerative disease affecting nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. Motor neurons reach from the brain to the spinal cord, and from the spinal cord to the muscles throughout the body. The progressive degeneration of the motor neurons in ALS eventually leads to their death, resulting in a loss of the brain’s ability to initiate and control muscle movement.

Rodent Spinal Cords:  Spinal cord tissue of animal models is commonly used in ALS research. There are several approaches NSA employs in processing spinal cord tissue.

Human Tissue:  NSA processes large format sections, as seen below, providing a unique opportunity to assess large contiguous cross-sections of tissue. NSA also processes multiple smaller samples from one or more spinal cords using MultiCord^® Technology. The standard NSA practice of encasing the spinal cord tissue in gelatin provides a significant aid in the handling of tissue sections resulting in an improved final product.

Multiple-Embedded Human Spinal Cords

Ubiquitin in SOD1 Mouse Model

Ubiquitin, mouse sagittal spinal cord, 10x

 

Amino Cupric Silver Degeneration Stain

Amino Cupric Silver stain in SOD ALS mouse spinal cord model is shown below. The black “squiggles” are blood vessels and the fine black lines indicate bundles of degenerated axons.

If you would like further information about how NSA can assist you with your research, please contact us or refer to our catalog.