A small-molecule inhibitor of SOD1-Derlin-1 interaction ameliorates pathology in an ALS mouse model

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating neurodegenerative disorder. Despite its severity, there are no effective treatments because of the complexity of its pathogenesis. As one of the underlying mechanisms of Cu, Zn superoxide dismutase ( SOD1 ) gene mutation-induced ALS, SOD1 mutants (SOD1 mut ) commonly interact with an endoplasmic reticulum-resident membrane protein Derlin-1, triggering motoneuron death. However, the importance of SOD1-Derlin-1 interaction in in vitro human model and in vivo mouse model remains to be elucidated. Here, we identify small-molecular-weight compounds that inhibit the SOD1-Derlin-1 interaction by screening approximately 160,000 compounds. The inhibitor prevents 122 types of SOD1 mut from interacting with Derlin-1, and significantly ameliorates the ALS pathology both in motoneurons derived from patient induced pluripotent stem cells and in model mice. Our data suggest that the SOD1-Derlin-1 interaction contributes to the pathogenesis of ALS and is a promising drug target for ALS treatment. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurological disease that leads to loss of voluntary muscle movement. Here, the authors screen for molecules that disrupt interaction between SOD1, a protein linked to ALS, and Derlin-1, and find an inhibitor that reduces pathology in an ALS mouse model.