Most notably, the disease attacks motoneurons in the spinal cord and impairs their capacity to receive messages from the brain, process them appropriately, and then send signals out of the spinal cord to cause muscle contraction. We believe our unique model can also be used to study the function of adult motoneurons in various models of MND. Once established, we can use this laboratory model: 1) to compare the properties of normal adult motoneurons with those affected by MND; and 2) apply drugs to our preparation to determine how they affect, and ultimately improve or restore motoneuron function.
Researchers
Dr Melissa Tadros, Professor Robert Callister
Research Area
Project type
Project Grant
Year of funding
2015