TY - CHAP AU - Cristina Cereda AU - Stella Gagliardi AU - Emanuela Cova AU - Luca Diamanti AU - Mauro Ceroni ED - Martin H. Maurer Y1 - 2012-01-20 PY - 2012 T1 - The Role of TNF-Alpha in ALS: New Hypotheses for Future Therapeutic Approaches N2 - Though considerable amount of research, both pre-clinical and clinical, has been conducted during recent years, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) remains one of the mysterious diseases of the 21st century. Great efforts have been made to develop pathophysiological models and to clarify the underlying pathology, and with novel instruments in genetics and transgenic techniques, the aim for finding a durable cure comes into scope. On the other hand, most pharmacological trials failed to show a benefit for ALS patients. In this book, the reader will find a compilation of state-of-the-art reviews about the etiology, epidemiology, and pathophysiology of ALS, the molecular basis of disease progression and clinical manifestations, the genetics familial ALS, as well as novel diagnostic criteria in the field of electrophysiology. An overview over all relevant pharmacological trials in ALS patients is also included, while the book concludes with a discussion on current advances and future trends in ALS research. BT - Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis SP - Ch. 18 UR - https://doi.org/10.5772/31223 DO - 10.5772/31223 SN - PB - IntechOpen CY - Rijeka Y2 - 2024-03-29 ER -