VDAC1 and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: VDAC has emerged as a key player in cancer [1] and in neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), because of its central role in metabolism and its interaction with several cytosolic enzymes and apoptotic factors [2].In higher eukaryotes three VDAC isoforms, named VDAC1, VDAC2, and VDAC3, which are encoded by three separate genes located on different chromosomes, have been characterized [3].