Team 'Motor System diseases ', Group leader: Gwendal Le Masson, MD, PhD, Prof. in Neurology.
Research goals
Understand and design new therapeutic approaches for Motor Neuron diseases such as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and Spinal Cord Injuries (SCI). ALS is a devastating disorders leading to progressive and selective motor neuron loss within the motor neuron cortex as well as in the spinal anterior horn. Using different transgenic mice as models of the disease, we focus on the abnormalities of the energetic pathways linked to mitochondrial damage and transport. We are investigating the consequences of impaired energetic metabolism of the electrical activity of cultured motor neuron and sliced spinal cord using patch and sharp electrodes recordings. Realistic computational models are used to guide the experiments and provide new hypothesis to explore. Our goal is to understand better the relationships between the electrical activity of the different subtypes of motor neurons and their vulnerability to degeneration in ALS. Our team is working in collaboration with the reference center for ALS and motor neuron diseases, to give these researches every single chance to be applied to humans.
Spinal cord slice recorded on micro electrode arrays
We are also investigating Spinal Cord Injury following trauma or spinal trans-section. The de-afferentation of the motor neuron following the injury, leads to a total re organization of the local circuits and central pattern generators (CPGs). Using theoretical and electrophysiological approaches, we characterize the post lesion plasticity and trophic factors implicated in spinal cord regeneration in the salamander.
Left panel: Model of the salamander locomotor CPG and schematic representation of the salamander robot. Right panel: Salamandra Robotica. From Ijspeert et al., Science, 2007.
Techniques and equipments
We use a combination of techniques ranging from anatomy, immuno-histo-chemistry, calcium imaging and electrophysiological recordings (extra, intra cellular with sharp or patch on culture and slices, and Multi Electrode Recordings), pharmacology as well as behavioral studies including complex kinematics. We also developed complex computational approaches such as multi-compartmental modeling, electrical and metabolic models and neuro-interface technologies (dynamic clamp and hybrid networking, bio-robotics). Our techniques take full advantage of the Neurocentre Magendie common platform for cellular imagery (confocal, two photons microscopy) and gene profiling.
Team Composition
Tenured Researchers: Gwendal Le Masson, MD, PhD (Prof. in Neurology, University Bdx2), Jean-Marie Cabelguen, PhD (Prof. University Bdx I)
Research assistants: Virginie Roques (INSERM), Claire Leger (Univ. Bdx2), Fanny Farrugia (INSERM)
PhD Students Vanessa Charrier, Ludivine Allard
5 Best Publications
Ijspeert A.J., Crespi A., Ryczko D., and Cabelguen J.-M. Science, 315, n° 5817, 1416 - 1420 (2007)
Wolfart J., Debay D., Le Masson G., Destexhe A., and Bal, T. Nat Neurosci. Dec;8(12):1760-7. (2005)
Derjan D., Bertrand B., Le Masson G., Landry M., Morrisset V., and Nagy F. Nat Neurosci. Vol 6:3 274-281 (2003)
Cabelguen JM, Bourcier-Lucas C, Dubuc R. J Neurosci, 23(6):2434-2439 (2003)
Le Masson G., Renaud-Lemasson S., Debay D., and Bal T Nature 417:854-858 (2002)
Composition table of the team
at May 25, 2012
at May 25, 2012
| Professors | Bordeaux 1 | 1 |
2 |
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| Others | 1 |
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| Technicians& Engineers | In the teams | Permanent | 2 |
5 |
5 |
| Non permanent | 3 |
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| PhD | 1 |
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| Other students | 2 |
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| TOTAL | 10 |
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