Motor Neurons News and Research

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Clinical trial to test efficacy of stem cell transplants in stopping ALS muscle deterioration

Once funding is obtained, researchers can perform a clinical trial to test the efficacy of transplanting bone marrow cells into muscles to stop deterioration caused by the illness. The method has already yielded positive results on mice.

16 Mar 2018

Researchers uncover link between Parkinson’s disease mutations and plaque formation in the brain

Working with lab-grown human brain cells, Johns Hopkins researchers report they have uncovered a much sought-after connection between one of the most common genetic mutations in Parkinson's disease and the formation of fatty plaques in the brain thought to contribute to the destruction of motor neurons that characterize the disease.

15 Mar 2018

Impaired transport processes in neurons contribute to neurodegenerative disorders

Two partners have to find their way to each other in order to transport substances to the remote ends of special nerve fibers to maintain their function. If this partnering process is disturbed, the cells may die in the worst case, resulting in neurodegenerative disorders such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or spinal muscular atrophy.

9 Mar 2018

Study sheds light on neuronal responses in ALS

In a recent study, scientists have linked changes in the size of motor neurons to the onset of symptoms in motor neurone disease (ALS).

5 Mar 2018

Study finds novel therapeutic strategy that preserves neuromuscular synapses in ALS mouse model

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, causes lethal respiratory paralysis within several years of diagnosis. There are no effective treatments to slow or halt this devastating disease.

21 Feb 2018

HDAC6 inhibition could be promising therapeutic approach for peripheral neuropathies

Inhibiting HDAC6 improves the structural stability of cells and protects against neuronal damage. Leuven research uncovered that targeting this mechanism could be a promising therapeutic approach for peripheral neuropathies, whether due to Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) or as a side effect of chemotherapy.

8 Feb 2018

Researchers discover gene network that regulates the motor neuron development in growing embryo

UCLA researchers have discovered the inner workings of a gene network that regulates the development of spinal motor neurons in the growing chicken and mouse embryo.

2 Feb 2018

Researchers describe severe toxicity with AAV9-based high-dose gene therapy in animal models

Researchers have described severe, life-threatening toxicity in monkeys and piglets given high doses of gene therapy delivered using an adeno-associated virus (AAV9) vector capable of accessing spinal cord neurons.

30 Jan 2018

Sangamo and Pfizer partner for development of new zinc finger protein gene therapy to treat ALS

Sangamo Therapeutics, Inc. and Pfizer Inc. today announced a collaboration for the development of a potential gene therapy using zinc finger protein transcription factors (ZFP-TFs) to treat amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) linked to mutations of the C9ORF72 gene.

8 Jan 2018

Scientists provide detailed insight into molecular mechanisms of ALS

Scientists have revealed more details of the molecular mechanism behind neuronal cell death in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a step forward to find ways to control progression of the disease.

26 Dec 2017

Researchers use cryptographic techniques to decode activity of motor neurons

Cracking the German Enigma code is considered to be one of the decisive factors that hastened Allied victory in World War II. Starting with clues derived from espionage, computer scientists were able to work out the rules that turned a string of gibberish characters into plain German, providing life-saving and war-shortening intelligence.

13 Dec 2017

Salk scientists unravel mystery about how the spinal cord deals with different information

We think of our brain as masterminding all of our actions, but a surprising amount of information related to movement gets processed by our spinal cord.

8 Dec 2017

Researcher discovers enzyme pathway involved in ALS pathogenesis

It is estimated that between 14,000 and 15,000 Americans have amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), according to the National Institutes of Health. Symptoms of ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, may be subtle at first but develop into more obvious muscle weakness and paralysis.

5 Dec 2017

Combining EEG and MRI could expand ways of understanding ALS

Our brains function by electrical and chemical signaling. Recording brain wave patterns can be very helpful in conditions like epilepsy, but the potential of this inexpensive and easily applied technology has not been fully recognized.

28 Nov 2017

Scientists develop novel mouse model to capture pathology of sporadic ALS and FTD

Neurodegenerative diseases are incurable and debilitating conditions that result in progressive degeneration and death of nerve cells, which leads to problems with movement or mental functioning. Examples include Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD).

13 Nov 2017

Researchers identify strategies to mitigate disturbed axonal transport in ALS patients

A team of researchers at VIB and KU Leuven used stem cell technology to generate motor neurons from ALS patients carrying mutations in FUS. They found disturbed axonal transport in these motor neurons, but also identified genetic and pharmacological strategies that mitigate this defect.

17 Oct 2017

Study overturns common belief about how proteins regulate formation of sensory interneurons

A recent study led by Samantha Butler at the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCLA has overturned a common belief about how a certain class of proteins in the spinal cord regulate the formation of nervous system cells -- called neurons -- during embryonic development.

19 Sep 2017

Scientists directly convert skin cells from healthy adults into motor neurons

Scientists working to develop new treatments for neurodegenerative diseases have been stymied by the inability to grow human motor neurons in the lab. Motor neurons drive muscle contractions, and their damage underlies devastating diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and spinal muscular atrophy, both of which ultimately lead to paralysis and early death.

7 Sep 2017

Scientists stop formation of protein clumps linked to ALS and frontotemporal dementia

Scientists report in a new study that by imitating a natural process of cells, they prevented the formation of protein clumps associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia.

8 Aug 2017

JAX receives new federal research grant to study mouse models of ALS

A new five-year federal research grant totaling $3,322,009 to The Jackson Laboratory (JAX) will fund studies of a new mouse model for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

4 Aug 2017