Latest Health News
Study sheds light on motor neurone disease Article date: 2008-11-18 17:45:16
A new study has provided important clues that could help scientists to understand the cause of neurodegenerative diseases such as motor neurone disease (MND).
MND is a progressive neurodegenerative disease in which the motor neurones are attacked, leading to weakness and muscle wasting, loss of mobility and difficulties with speech, swallowing and breathing.
Researchers found that a signalling molecule called Wnt3 is required for the creation of connections between nerves and muscles. It does this by assisting a molecule called Agrin, which helps to build the connection or 'synapse'.
If the synapse does not form correctly, the muscle does not receive nerve signals and it begins to waste and weaken.
The findings are published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Lead researcher Professor Patricia Salinas, from University College London, commented: "We know that in diseases like MND the sites of contact between nerves and muscles become weak.
"The work we are publishing today puts another important piece of the puzzle in place and offers up a new possibility for developing drugs to treat MND and other neurodegenerative diseases."
Receive health news via our XML/RSS feed
Email a friend
To tell a friend about this page, please enter their name and email address below and then enter your name. Once you have done this, click submit.
Your friends email address will not be used for marketing purposes. In clicking submit you confirm consent to receive the email on behalf of the recipient.