PTGS2 and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: Very interestingly, a vital insight of neuroinflammation research in ALS was generated by the evidence that both the mRNA and protein levels of the pro-inflammatory enzyme cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) are upregulated in both transgenic mouse models and in human postmortem brain and spinal cord.23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29 The role of COX-2 neurotoxicity in ALS and other neurodegenerative disorders has been well explored.30, 31, 32 One of the key downstream products of COX-2, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), can directly mediate COX-2 neurotoxicity both in vitro and in vivo.