Synthetic mammalian neuromuscular junction and method of screening for a candidate drug thereon

摘要

A method for forming neuromuscular junctions includes forming functional neuromuscular junctions between motoneurons and muscle cells by co-culturing one or more human motoneurons and one or more human muscle cells in a substantially serum-free medium. A synthetic mammalian neuromuscular junction includes a human motoneuron functionally linked to a human muscle cell in a substantially serum-free medium. An artificial substrate may be used to support the one or more neuromuscular junctions.

主权项

1. A method of screening for a candidate therapeutic drug for a neuromuscular disease, the method comprising:
co-culturing differentiated human skeletal muscle stem cells adhered to an artificial surface and overlayered with differentiated human spinal cord stem cells in a serum-free medium; forming at least one functional neuromuscular junction between a differentiated human skeletal muscle stem cell and a differentiated human spinal cord stem cell; contacting the at least one functional neuromuscular junction with a candidate drug; and monitoring the at least one functional neuromuscular junction following contact with the candidate drug, wherein the monitoring comprises recording one or more electrophysiological properties of the co-culture or video recording of the co-culture.