Neuronal Forest

Date: March 5, 2017

Materials: Acrylic and Ink on Wood

Size: 12” x 12”

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Motor neurons are cells that simulate an excitatory response in muscles and organs to facilitate muscle contractions. A motor neuron consists of a cell body that resides in the spinal cord and a central fiber, or axon, that projects from the spinal cord and transmits electrical impulses to muscles. The loss or death of motor neurons can contribute to a number of neurodegenerative diseases, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s. Researchers at the USC Keck School of Medicine are working to generate new motor neurons from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) that can be used for disease-specific drug screens. These screens will identify potential therapies that can halt and reverse the progress of neurodegenerative diseases.