Dioxins and related environmental contaminants increase TDP-43 levels.
Peter E A AshElizabeth A StanfordAli Al AbdulatifAlejandra Ramirez-CardenasHeather I BallanceSamantha BoudeauAmanda JehJames M MurithiYorghos TripodisGeorge J MurphyDavid H SherrBenjamin WolozinPublished in: Molecular neurodegeneration (2017)
These results provide the first evidence that environmental AHR ligands increase TDP-43, which is the principle pathological protein associated with ALS. These results suggest novel molecular mechanisms through which a variety of prevalent environmental factors might directly contribute to ALS. The widespread distribution of dioxins, PCBs and PAHs is considered to be a risk factor for cancer and autoimmune diseases, but could also be a significant public health concern for ALS.