The Neuromuscular junction

© Marion Boyer

Neuromuscular junction in ALS: what goes wrong?

The neuromuscular junction (NMJ) is the critical site where motor neurons connect with muscle fibers to control movement. In ALS, loss of these connections, known as NMJ denervation, occurs very early in the disease.

Our laboratory is studying whether an altered communication between motor neurons, terminal Schwann cells, and muscle cells at the NMJ could influence this early disconnection.