Mapping motor neuron types from development into adulthood and building tools to access them
Defining Motor Neuron Diversity from Embryo to Adulthood and Generating Tools for in Vivo and in Vitro Access
Researchers are mapping how spinal motor neurons change from embryo to adult and creating molecular tools to identify and target the types that matter for people with ALS and other motor neuron conditions.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Newark, UNITED STATES) |
| Project ID | NIH-11247152 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From a patient's perspective, the team will follow motor neurons as they develop and mature, using genetic and molecular profiling to define distinct adult subtypes. They will use laboratory models (including mice), AAV-based viral tools, and human spinal cord samples (including autopsy tissue) to link molecular signatures to neuron function. The project will also create lab and in vivo tools so researchers can isolate, monitor, and manipulate specific motor neuron subtypes. The aim is to provide clearer targets for studying diseases like ALS and to enable more accurate models for testing future therapies.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults with ALS or other motor neuron disorders, and people (or families) willing to donate spinal cord tissue after death, would be most directly connected to this work.
Not a fit: People without motor neuron disease or those seeking immediate treatment are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this basic science and tool-development project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify which motor neuron subtypes are vulnerable in ALS and provide tools to develop and test targeted treatments and better laboratory models.
How similar studies have performed: Related single-cell and molecular mapping studies have successfully defined neuron types elsewhere in the nervous system, but mapping adult spinal motor neuron diversity and creating subtype-specific in vivo tools is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Newark, UNITED STATES
- Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences — Newark, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Patel, Tulsi — Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Patel, Tulsi
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.