New Way to Generate Human Motor Nerve Cells Identified

In a recent research work scientists have discovered a novel way to generate human motor neurons which could pave path for motor neuron disease.

A team from the Universities of Edinburgh, Cambridge and Cardiff has created a range of motor neurons nerves cells that send messages from the brain and spine to other parts of the body from human embryonic stem cells in the laboratory.

Research Finds Early Defects in Sensory Synapses in Motor Neuron Disease
An abnormality in the way that sensory information is relayed to motor neurons in the spinal cord has been revealed in research using a mouse model

It is the first time that researchers have been able to generate a variety of human motor neurons, which differ in their make-up and display properties depending on where they are located in the spinal cord.

The research, published in the journal Nature Communications, could help scientists better understand motor neurone disease. The process will enable scientists to create different types of motor neurons and study why some are more vulnerable to disease than others.

Motor neurons control muscle activity such as speaking, walking, swallowing and breathing. However, in motor neurone disease a progressive and ultimately fatal disorder these cells break down leading to paralysis, difficulty speaking, breathing and swallowing.

Scientists Take First Step to Developing a Test for Motor Neuron Disease
Scientists have identified a common signature of nerve damage in the brains of Motor Neurone Disease (MND) patients.

Previously scientists had only been able to generate one particular kind of motor neuron, which they did by using retinoic acid, a vitamin A derivative.

In the latest study, scientists have found a way to generate a wider range of motor neurons using a new process without retinoic acid.

Animal Model Of A Human Motor Neuron Disease Opens Up Possibilities For New Treatment
Scientists have obtained some promising results by treating mice bred to develop a form of motor neuron disease that affect children, with injections of stem cells into the spinal cord.

Professor Siddharthan Chandran, Director of the Euan MacDonald Centre for Motor Neurone Disease Research at the University of Edinburgh, said: "Motor neurons differ in their make-up, so understanding why some are more vulnerable than others to disease is important for developing treatment for this devastating condition."

Dr Rickie Patani, of the University of Cambridge, said: "Although motor neurons are often considered as a single group, they represent a diverse collection of neuronal subtypes. The ability to create a range of different motor neurons is a key step in understanding the basis of selective subtype vulnerability in conditions such as motor neuron disease and spinal muscular atrophy."

Treatment Targeted to Muscle Improves Motor Neuron Disease
New research with transgenic mice reveals that a therapy directed at the muscle significantly improves disease symptoms of a genetic disorder.

Source-Eurekalert