Overview

• The peer-reviewed study from La Jolla Institute for Immunology and Columbia University finds elevated CD4+ T-cell responses to the neuronal protein C9orf72 in people with ALS.
• Patients grouped into distinct immune profiles, with predominantly inflammatory CD4+ responses linked to shorter predicted survival.
• A second profile combined inflammatory responses with higher anti-inflammatory CD4+ activity and was associated with longer projected survival.
• Authors say future therapies could aim to enhance protective CD4+ responses while reducing damaging inflammation in ALS.
• The findings, published in Nature, add to evidence of immune involvement in neurodegeneration and may inform research in Parkinson's, Huntington's, and Alzheimer's disease.