Restoring muscle function
4 April 2014
The dawn of translational optogenetics: Bryson et al.
Dr Barney Bryson in Professor Linda Greensmith's lab,
applied tools from optogenetics in concert with ideas in regenerative
medicine to restore muscle function in a mouse model of peripheral nerve
injury.
The project involved a novel approach to restore muscle function following motor neuron loss, using a combination of stem cell based replacement of motor neurons and the revolutionary technique of optogenetics. Briefly, we have shown that embryonic stem cell-derived motor neurons (ESC-MNs) can be transplanted into injured peripheral nerves that have lost their endogenous motor neuron axons, and that these ESC-MNs can then reinnervate the target muscles.
to view a video from Professor Linda Greensmith's lab explaining the work
to view the full paper in Science