Motor Neurons News and Research

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Scientists describe how cells 'decide' between pluripotency and differentiation

Induced pluripotent stem cells can turn into any type of cell in the body or remain in their original form. In the current edition of Molecular Cell, scientists from the Helmholtz Zentrum München describe how cells “decide” which of these two directions to take.

3 May 2019

$150,000 grant will support research on spinal muscular atrophy

EL PASO, Texas-Cure SMA recently awarded a $150,000 research grant to Laxman Gangwani, Ph.D., associate professor of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Center of Emphasis in Neurosciences, at TTUHSC El Paso's Paul L. Foster School of Medicine.

2 May 2019

Scientists investigate processes that lead to neuronal death in ALS patients

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is an incurable disease of the central nervous system. In most cases, ALS is fatal within a short period following diagnosis.

15 Apr 2019

Promising diagnostic, prognostic tools for onset and progression of ALS

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a motor neuron disease with rampant progression and that it is typically fatal within 5 years of prognosis.

5 Apr 2019

Transplantation of bone marrow-derived EPCs slows ALS disease progression

Transplantation of human bone marrow-derived endothelial progenitor cells into mice mimicking symptoms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) helped mor, University of South Florida researchers report.

3 Apr 2019

Nervous system relies on guidance cues for neuronal axons to reach destinations

Similar to the dozens of Sherpas that guide hikers up treacherous Himalayan mountains to reach a summit, the nervous system relies on elaborate timing and location of guidance cues for neuronal axons--threadlike projections--to successfully reach their destinations in the body.

25 Mar 2019

Pesticides, other environmental pollutants advance progression of ALS

While exact causes of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) remain unknown, new research shows pesticides and other environmental pollutants advance the progression of the neurodegenerative disease.

28 Feb 2019

BGU develops new AI platform for monitoring and predicting ALS progression

Ben-Gurion University of the Negev has developed a new artificial intelligence (AI) platform for monitoring and predicting progression of neurodegenerative diseases to help identify markers for personalized patient care and improve drug development.

20 Feb 2019

Scientists develop new gene therapy that prevents axon destruction in mice

Nerve axons serve as the wiring of the nervous system, sending electrical signals that control movement and sense of touch.

18 Jan 2019

Study points to potential new biomarker and drug target for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Research led by stem cell scientists at Harvard University points to a potential new biomarker and drug target for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a neurological disease that is extremely difficult to diagnose and treat.

16 Jan 2019

New drug could significantly slow progression of ALS, shows research

A new drug could significantly slow the progression of ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, according to new research by University of Alberta biologists. Current treatments slow progression of the degenerative disease by only a few months, and these findings could revolutionize the treatment of patients suffering from ALS, extending and improving quality of life.

18 Dec 2018

New research lays out potential path for treatment of Huntington’s disease

New research gives scientists a clearer picture of what is happening in the brains of people with Huntington's disease and lays out a potential path for treatment.

14 Dec 2018

New method helps better understand pathological development of ALS

The neurodegenerative disease ALS causes motor neuron death and paralysis. However, long before the cells die, they lose contact with the muscles as their axons atrophy.

12 Dec 2018

Ezogabine treatment reduces motor neuron excitability in ALS patients, study shows

Brian Wainger, MD, PhD, of the Healey Center for ALS at Massachusetts General Hospital presented initial, top-level results of a recently completed phase 2 clinical trial of ezogabine (also called retigabine) on December 9 at the Motor Neurone Disease Association annual meeting in Glasgow, Scotland.

11 Dec 2018

Researchers create new light-activated tools for controlling neurons

By enabling super-fast remote control of specific cells, light-activated proteins allow researchers to study the function of individual neurons within a large network - even an entire brain. Now one of the pioneers of 'optogenetics' and colleagues have created two new tools - protein pores which when illuminated allow Ca2+ into cells or K+ out - for switching neurons on or off using light.

6 Dec 2018

Studying sensory neurons could provide new insights to treat ALS

Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute scientists have shown that mutations in specific genes that destroy motor neurons and thereby cause the devastating effects of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis-- also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease -- also attack sensory neurons.

9 Nov 2018

Repair defect in neurons hints at possible therapy for preventing ALS

Houston Methodist researchers have discovered a repair defect in nerve cells that send messages to the brain, opening the door to a possible therapy for preventing or slowing down ALS.

1 Nov 2018

Brown researchers uncover new clues about ALS progression

Brown University researchers have uncovered new clues about the progression of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), a surprisingly common disease that causes the death of motor neurons that control voluntary muscles such as those involved in walking, talking, chewing or breathing.

10 Oct 2018

Researchers discover how nerve cells control movement

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have discovered a new way in which nerve cells can control movement. In a study on zebrafish published in the journal PNAS they show that the contact between neurons and muscles is more dynamic than previously thought.

3 Oct 2018

Neuroscientists identify circuit for brain's statistical inference about motion

As the eye tracks a bird flying past, the muscles that pan the eyeballs to keep the target in focus set their pace not only on the speed they see, but also on a reasonable estimate of the speed they expect from having watched birds before.

18 Sep 2018