Added to the previous notion that NF-kB is associated with ALS disease progression [43], this finding prompted us to monitor NF-kB activity by checking the phosphorylation state of its regulatory subunits IKKα/β and of IkBα [44] and the translocation of NF-kB p65 subunit from the cytoplasm to the nucleus (using biochemical fractionation assays) in the two astrocyte populations. This evidence concerns the gene CHUK and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.