In the rat mixed primary spinal cord cultures, ALS IgG activated caspase-3 and downstream signaling pathways, leading to selective apoptosis of neurons, while astrocytes were less susceptible; hence, the authors left an open possibility that neuronal death could be a secondary effect of the influence of ALS IgG on astrocytes [37]. Here, CASP3 is linked to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.