Luc Dupuis Understanding the neural circuits that cause weight loss in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and weight loss

“Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is the third most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. It occurs between the ages of 50 and 70 and causes gradual paralysis. The main goal of our research is to map abnormalities in connections between neurons in ALS to precisely identify the neuronal populations to target in the treatment of weight loss."

ALS has long been considered a disease of the motor system, which controls movement. However, recent work has shown that ALS is also linked to non-motor symptoms such as metabolic disorders, including weight loss, over ten years before other symptoms occur. Dr. Dupuis' team has identified an area of the brain, the lateral hypothalamus, that seems to be affected during the course of the disease and could cause weight loss.

The foundation’s support

The Bettencourt Prize Coups d'Élan pour la recherche française will be used to equip the imaging platform of the brand new Biomedicine Research Center in Strasbourg, where Dr. Dupuis' team will move.

The installation of a spinning disk confocal microscope will let the team make high speed (nearly 2,000 images per second), high resolution and 3D videos of the brain. This will allow the researchers to directly view the activation of certain neurons in the brain and its consequences on energy consumption, weight loss and motor symptoms in people with ALS. A better understanding of the pathway responsible for weight loss in patients will improve prevention and early management of ALS, even before the onset of motor symptoms.