Integrated transcriptomic profiling reveals a STING-mediated Type II Interferon signature in SOD1-mutant amyotrophic lateral sclerosis models

Inflammation is a hallmark of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), particularly in cases with SOD1 mutations. Using integrative transcriptomics, we analyzed gene expression changes in mouse models throughout progression, human induced-pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs), and post-mortem spinal cord tissue from ALS patients. We identified a conserved upregulation of interferon (IFN) genes and IFN-stimulating genes (ISGs) in both mouse models and human ALS, with a predominance Type I IFNs (IFN-alpha/beta) in mice and Type II IFNs (IFN-gamma) in humans. In mouse models, we observed robust and sustained upregulation of Type I and II ISGs, including ATF3, beginning at disease onset stage and persisting throughout disease progression. Single-cell transcriptomics further pinpointed vascular endothelial cells as a major source of ISGs. Furthermore, we found that the STING-TBK1 axis is essential for the induction of Type II ISGs in ALS, as its deletion impaired their expression. Our study uncovers a conserved ISGs signature across ALS models and patients, highlighting the potential role of innate immune activation in ALS pathogenesis. These findings suggest that ISGs may serve as potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for ALS.