Prof. Eran Perlson

Lab research is focused on understanding molecular mechanisms of neuro-degeneration and regeneration using primary rodent cultures, patient’s iPSC derived motor neurons and in vivo transgenic mice models. Lab main goal, using advanced microscopy, biochemistry, genetic and pharmacological approaches, is to gain knowledge that will elucidate the critical events leading to neuron degeneration and neuromuscular-junction (NMJ) disruption in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). ALS is a lethal adult-onset motor neuron disease with no drug .nortreatment. This is largely because we require a more thorough mechanistic understanding of ALS pathogenesis to rationally develop therapeutics

The lab is using a novel NMJ-on-a-Chip platform that mimic the human motor unit and enable to grow patients neurons and muscles on a silicon chips. Specifically, lab projectsarefocused to understand key spatial and temporal signaling mechanisms, including axonal transport, receptor organization along the plasma membrane and local protein synthesis events at axons and synapses.