New miniaturized model of neuromuscular junction formation provides insight into ALS
Skeletal muscles enable voluntary movements and are controlled by a special type of neurons called motor neurons, which make direct contact with skeletal muscles through so-called neuromuscular junctions (NMJs). It is through NMJs that skeletal muscles receive signals making them contract or relax.
In certain neurodegenerative diseases, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), NMJs are destroyed, leading to progressive muscle weakness and ultimately death. Treatments for ALS mainly focus on alleviating symptoms but cannot stop or reverse its disease progression. To find more effective treatments, researchers require accurate and easily accessible lab-based models for ALS to understand its causes and to develop and test new therapies.
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IMAGE: Scanning electron microscopy image of a human neuromuscular junction generated in microfluidic devices. Human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived motor neuron axons fan out and embed themselves into the human muscle. view more
Credit: Dr. Pieter Baatsen, LiMoNe, Research Group Molecular Neurobiology and Katarina Stoklund Dittlau, Laboratory of Neurobiology at VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain and Disease Research
Skeletal muscles enable voluntary movements and are controlled by a special type of neurons called motor neurons, which make direct contact with skeletal muscles through so-called neuromuscular junctions (NMJs). It is through NMJs that skeletal muscles receive signals making them contract or relax. In certain neurodegenerative diseases, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), NMJs are destroyed, leading to progressive muscle weakness and ultimately death. Treatments for ALS mainly focus on alleviating symptoms but cannot stop or reverse its