Restoring muscle function

The dawn of translational optogenetics: Bryson et al.

restored muscle function in a mouse model of peripheral nerve injury in an anaesthetized animal

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.

Click here to view a video from Professor Linda Greensmith's lab explaining the work

Click here to view the full paper in Science

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