Science

Science afsnit kopieres ind fra nuværende (bliver Scientific background)

At NMD Pharma we are focusing on novel treatments for neuromuscular diseases. Neuromuscular diseases involve impairment of the motor system, including the motor neurons and the skeletal muscles that they control (see figure 1). The motor neurons are akin to the wiring which carries signals from the brain to peripheral muscles, and the muscles are the motors responsible for movement. The motor system controls movements of arms and legs to perform everyday tasks varying from walking, riding a bicycle, and brushing one’s hair to controlling one’s posture and performing vital functions such as breathing.

In order to accomplish such tasks, motor neurons contact the muscle in a specialized region called the neuromuscular junction (see figure 2). At this junction, also known as a synapse, a chemical signal (acetylcholine) is released by the electrical signal in the terminal end of the motor neuron. Once released it binds to specific acetylcholine receptors on the muscle fibre surface in the region of the neuromuscular junction. The receptors are activated by acetylcholine leading to influx of positively charged ions into the muscle fibre in the region of the neuromuscular junction and this creates a local change in the membrane potential i.e. a synaptic potential. This synaptic potential can in turn trigger a regenerative and propagating electrical signal in the muscle fibre provided that the synaptic potential is large enough. This propagating signal triggered at the neuromuscular junction travels along the length of the muscle fibre and into the transverse t-tubular system. When the interior of the muscle receives this electrical signal, it activates the release of calcium (Ca2+) from an intracellular depot, and the Ca2+ signal then triggers activation the muscle motor proteins resulting in muscle shortening and force production.