In this context, a recent large-scale genome-wide association study identified a common missense variant and several rare loss-of-function (LOF) mutations within the microtubule motor protein-encoding gene, KIF5A, as candidate ALS risk factors, further supporting perturbations in cytoskeletal function play an important role in ALS and offering a potential target for drug development10,11. Here, KIF5A is linked to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.