P2RX7 and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: Moreover, Brilliant Blue G, a poorly centrally penetrant and low affinity P2X7 antagonist, was shown to reduce microgliosis but not astrocytosis in lumbar spinal cord, to modulate inflammatory genes such as nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kB), NADPH oxidase 2 (NOX2), IL-1β, interleukin-10 (IL-10), and brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), to enhance motor neuron survival, and to induce a slightly delayed ALS disease onset with modest improvement of general conditions and motor performance, when provided to SOD1-G93A mice from late preonset [20].