Research summary
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, better known as ALS, affects several thousand Canadians, and most who develop the disease die will within two to five years of diagnosis. In ALS, motor neurons stop sending messages to the muscles, causing them to weaken and waste away. Eventually, the brain loses its ability to initiate and control voluntary movements.
As Canada Research Chair in Central and Peripheral Cellular Networks in ALS, Dr. Silvia Pozzi is investigating how cellular communication is altered in the central and peripheral nervous system during ALS. Using cutting-edge technologies, she and her research team are exploring new communication pathways and deciphering pathogenic events. They are also helping to move the current research focus on the pathogenic mechanisms of ALS from the central to the peripheral nervous system. Ultimately, their work could lead to new drug targets and treatments for this devastating disease.