A team of researchers from the Sant Pau Research Institute (IR Sant Pau) has published a study in the Journal of Neuroinflammation that, for the first time, examines in depth the role of the peripheral immune system in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) at the single-cell level.

Their findings suggest that immune system cells—particularly two subpopulations of natural killer (NK) cells—may play a crucial part in the development and progression of this neurodegenerative disease.

ALS is a condition that causes the progressive degeneration of motor neurons, leading to a loss of muscle function and, eventually, affecting vital functions such as breathing.