While studying the stem cells as they developed into
motor neurons in fruit fly larvae, they noticed that in the midst of this process, some of these stem cells took a detour.
Scientists working to develop new treatments for neurodegenerative diseases have been stymied by the inability to grow human
motor neurons in the lab.
The studies, which will be conducted at the Project ALS Pre-Clinical Core at Columbia University's
Motor Neuron Center, will complement Amylyx's recent Phase 2 clinical programme of AMX0035 for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
Transsynaptic degeneration of lower
motor neurons secondary to upper
motor neurons injury plays a role in muscle mass loss.
Patients with ALS become progressively paralyzed, while remaining fully alert mentally, due to degeneration of the upper and the lower
motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord.
He suffers from
motor neuron disease, commonly known as ALS in the United States.
The team implanted these light-responsive
motor neurons into the paralyzed thighs of mice.
Motor neurons also die in ALS, a fatal neurodegenerative disease, and in spinal muscular atrophy, a disease that can affect newborn infants.
They showed that the transplanted stem cell-derived
motor neurons grew along the injured nerves to connect successfully with the paralyzed muscles, which could then be controlled by pulses of blue light.
The death of
motor neurons is the final cause of ALS.
CSC reports it has developed a cell-derived
motor neuron transplantation therapy called MotorGraft, for the treatment of SMA Type 1.
Summary: TEHRAN (FNA)- Scientists said that they have found in a surprising and unexpected discovery that a single type of gene acts as a master organizer of
motor neurons in the spinal cord.
