Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is characterized by the progressive degeneration of the motor neurons that innervate muscle, resulting in gradual
paralysis and culminating in the inability to breathe or swallow. This neuronal degeneration occurs in a spatiotemporal manner from a point of onset in the central nervous system (CNS), suggesting that there is a molecule that spreads from cell-to-cell. There is strong evidence that the onset and progression of ALS pathology is a consequence of
protein misfolding and aggregation. In line with this, a hallmark pathology of ALS is
protein deposition and inclusion formation within motor neurons and surrounding glia of the
proteins TAR
DNA-binding protein 43,
superoxide dismutase-1, or fused in
sarcoma. Collectively, the observed
protein aggregation, in conjunction with the spatiotemporal spread of symptoms, strongly suggests a
prion-like propagation of
protein aggregation occurs in ALS. In this review, we discuss the role of
protein aggregation in ALS concerning protein homeostasis (proteostasis) mechanisms and
prion-like propagation. Furthermore, we examine the experimental models used to investigate these processes, including in vitro assays, cultured cells, invertebrate models, and murine models. Finally, we evaluate the
therapeutics that may best prevent the onset or spread of pathology in ALS and discuss what lies on the horizon for treating this currently incurable disease.