In ALS, microglia can become overactivated due to the aggregation of TAR DNA-binding protein 43 and Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1), producing pro-inflammatory cytokines, which not only directly damage neurons but also exacerbate ALS (Zhao et al., 2015; Calió et al., 2020; Yu et al., 2020). The gene discussed is TARDBP; the disease is amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.