Within this cluster we also identified enrichment of other genes involved with the extracellular-matrix (e.g. COL1A1, MMP24, ADAM19), focal adhesion (e.g. MCAM, ILK, EPHA2, ITGB1) and immune-activation (e.g. TGFB1, NFKB1, NFKB2, CD68, IL32), consistent with processes previously identified in ALS astrocytes (8,15–16,29,66). Here, MCAM is linked to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.