Muscle and NeuroMuscular Junction

Our research program focuses on the interactions existing between skeletal muscles and the nerves. A functional innervation of skeletal muscles is essential for their contraction but also for their homeostasis. This innervation involves motor neurons, which transmit the information from the brain. Altered innervation of muscle fibers and/or defective muscle response to changes in neural activity are hallmarks of several diseases associated with muscle dysfunction. Thus, determining the mechanisms leading to the loss of the functional and plastic interplays between muscle and nerve is paramount. The aims of our research program are 1) to identify processes or effectors supporting the formation and/or the maintenance of the muscle / nerve connections and, 2) to unveil mechanisms threatening neuromuscular integrity in pathological conditions, such as myopathies. The research program is conducted with the long-term goal to delineate potential therapeutic strategies to limit muscle alterations in these disabling diseases.