King's researcher receives nearly £1 million to investigate the role of ancient viral DNA in ALS

Around eight per cent of human DNA is made up of genetic sequences acquired from ancient viral infections which date back up to millions of years. These sequences are known as human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs). Existing evidence suggests that HERVs may play a role in the development of ALS.

With the new MRC funding, researchers at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King's will use genetic data from London Neurodegenerative Diseases Brain Bank and Project MinE - a large, multinational genetic research programme investigating the origins of ALS - to determine if there are specific HERVs that influence the risk and progression of ALS.

The researchers will then use a new technology called 'long-read sequencing' to detect more complex genetic structures within these HERVs. This will allow them to understand whether specific HERVs and variations within their sequence cause ALS, and to design experiments that can help us understand new ways to treat the disease.

ALS is a devastating neurodegenerative disorder with no known cure. We know it is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors, however it is still unclear which parts of our DNA are linked with ALS risk. With this MRC funding we can shed light on the role that specific genetic sequences which were acquired hundreds of thousands, or even millions of years ago from ancient viruses play in the development of ALS.

Dr Alfredo Iacoangeli, Reader in Bioinformatics at King's IoPPN

The research, led by Dr Alfredo Iacoangeli with co-investigators Professors Ammar Al-Chalabi, Gerome Breen and Richard Dobson, is a collaboration between the Department of Biostatistics & Health Informatics, King's Genomics and the UK MND Research Institute.

The MRC grant follows preliminary data collected by Dr Iacoangeli and his team which was funded by the MND Association and MND Scotland.

For more information, please contact Milly Remmington (School of Mental Health & Psychological Sciences Communications Manager).