Reference no: EM133834773

Problem

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) (also known as motor neuron disease or Lou Gehrig disease) is a fatal neurogenerative disorder consisting of death or injury of motor neurons in the spinal cord, cerebral cortex, and brain. ALS presents with progressive muscle weakness and atrophy that leads to limb motor deficits, dysphagia, dysarthria, paralysis, and eventually respiratory failure (Peggion et al., 2022). Familial forms of ALS make up 10% to 20% of all cases. More than 30 genes have been found to be associated with ALS with four common genetic mutations including C9ORF72 (chromosome 9 open reading frame 72), superoxide dismutase (SODI), and fused in sarcoma (FUS). These have been found to contribute to neurotoxicity of the proteins affecting motor neurons (Rogers, 2023). Get the instant assignment help. Based on Maria's symptoms and family history, how do genetic alterations in the SOD1 gene contribute to disease progression in ALS? SOD1 is an antioxidant enzyme that protects cells from the effects of superoxide radicals. When this alteration is present, it makes Maria's motor neurons more vulnerable to damage caused by ALS (Peggion et al., 2022). How do genetic mutations disrupt cellular homeostasis, particularly in motor neurons?