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Project Information Page Grade Grouping 10-12 Team Size 2 Subject Area Biology Project Type Experimental Project Level Standard Project Format Traditional Summary The Central Nervous system is the facet by which communication occurs throughout the human body. The key to the functioning of the nervous system are motor neurons which are cells specialized to stimulate with muscular action. Voltage gated calcium channels are an integral component of motor neurons as they ensure the action potential of the cell is reached, stimulating further cellular processes. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) or Lou Gehrig’s Disease is a degenerative neurological disorder in which the patient’s motor neurons progressively die, resulting in muscular atrophy and paralysis. The focus of this experiment was to investigate the use of stem cells, which had been differentiated into motor neurons, for the presence of calcium channels. This would prove not only the ability of stem cells to structurally become motor neurons, but also to function electrophysiologically as motor neurons. The first step in this experiment was the differentiation of chick myoblast cells into muscle cells, and the differentiation of mouse stem cells into motor neurons. The motor neurons and muscle cells were co-cultured, and, using immunohistochemical techniques, were tested for the presence of calcium channels. Specific antibodies were used to differentiate between the motor neurons, muscle cells, and calcium channels. To develop a negative control, muscle cells which had not been co-cultured with motor neurons were also tested for the presence of calcium channels. The results of this experiment found that there was some presence of calcium channels on the stem cells which had been differentiated into motor neurons. This would suggest that the differentiated stem cells would be able to function as normal motor neurons. No calcium channels were identified in the muscle tissue which had been grown by itself. However, calcium channels were found in the muscle tissue which had been co-cultured with the stem cells that had been differentiated into motor-neurons. It is postulated that the stem cells induced the presence of calcium channels in the muscle, thereby suggesting that they communicated with the muscle. This is excellent as the premise of the Nervous System is communication. These findings are of particular pertinence to patients with ALS as their disease is characterized by a lack of stimuli to their muscles. These results would suggest that there is definitely great possibility for the use of stem cell replacement therapy in the treatment of ALS, especially with regards to reestablishing the communication system between the motor neurons and the muscles. Software Tools Microsoft Word, Microsoft Powerpoint, Microsoft FrontPage Source of Idea for Project The idea for our project came from Larry Uteck, a former city councilor and football coach in Halifax. Mr. Uteck suffered from Lou Gehrig’s disease, and passed away last year. Many people were touched by his life and struggle, including ourselves. Mr. Uteck was a great source of inspiration in our decision to research Lou Gehrig’s disease, and ways in which we could make a contribution in combating this horrible degenerative neurological condition. Awards 1st Place 2003 Nova Scotia Aventis Biotech Challenge Virtual Science Fair Home Page |