The movement of motor neurons in neurodegenerative diseases

25.03.2022

The project funded by the European Union Horizon 2020 - Marie Sklodowska -Curie Individual Fellowship called MOVEMeNt - Decoding alpha motor neurons diversity and selective vulnerability to disease with Emanuela Zuccaro as Principal Investigator of the Department of Biomedical Sciences of the University of Padua concludes after two years of scientific research. The project investigates the differences and vulnerability of alpha motor neurons to identify new therapeutic strategies that could stop the progression of neurodegenerative disease.

Neurodegenerative diseases, such as ALS, are highly debilitating diseases affecting the nervous system, more specifically the neurons responsible for movement, called motor neurons. Although neurodegenerative diseases have different causes, onset, and prognosis, a common denominator includes selective vulnerability and consequential loss or dysfunction of neurons. Not all neurons are equally susceptible to disease as some neurons are more vulnerable and degenerate first, while others continue to function even at the last stages of the disease.

The spinal cord is populated by multiple and different cell and neuronal types, each with a specific molecular identity and biological function. Degenerative motor neurons that become–leading to severe dysfunction and disability neurodegenerative diseases represent a very rare percentage of the population.

“I have developed a new methodology that specifically isolates these motor neurons and characterize them at the molecular level and with cellular resolution, without resorting to gene reporter strategies. This allows us to narrow the field of investigation to cell types that are particularly susceptible to neurodegenerative diseases,” says Dr. Emanuela Zuccaro of the Department of Biomedical Sciences of the University of Padua.