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Diseased brain cells more involved in ALS-associated motor neuron death

Two papers by Columbia and Harvard researchers report for the first time that astrocytes -- the most abundant non-neuronal cells in the central nervous system, which carry a mutated gene known to cause some cases of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS/Lou Gehrig's disease) -- induce motor neuron death. This indicates that astrocytes may contribute to ALS by releasing a toxic factor that damages neurons.

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Keywords: diseased, brain, cells, involved, als-associated, motor, neuron, death, cell, als, associated

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