Methods in Neuromuscular Aging and Regeneration

TOPICAL COLLECTIONS

Guest Editors

Mitra Lavasani

Shirley Ryan AbilityLab; Northwestern University, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

Dr. Lavasani is a research scientist and director of the translational cell therapy lab at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab and an assistant professor in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Dr. Lavasani holds degrees in molecular biology (BSc) and bioengineering (MS, PhD). For the past 20 years, Dr. Lavasani has investigated the impact of adult stem cells on tissue regeneration after neuromusculoskeletal injuries and in age-related diseases. In 2012, she made the groundbreaking discovery that the "aging clock" could not only be slowed but actually reversed via systemic transplantation of adult multipotent stem cells. Her current interests lie in understanding the mechanism(s) behind these novel findings and translating this knowledge to prevent, ameliorate, or reverse functional loss in people with neuromuscular diseases, injuries, or aging-related pathologies. Dr. Lavasani's ultimate goal is to translate her regenerative therapies to the clinic.

Seth Thompson

Shirley Ryan AbilityLab

Dr. Seth Thompson received his BS in biology from James Madison University in 2008. Prior to graduate training, he gained experience as a lab manager at the University of Pittsburgh's Stem Cell Research Center developing cell therapies for regenerating neuromuscular tissues in mouse models of Duchenne muscular dystrophy and peripheral nerve injury. Dr. Thompson earned his PhD from the Northwestern University Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program in 2022 while researching novel systemic treatments to simultaneously rejuvenate multiple neuromusculoskeletal tissues in naturally aged mice. He is currently a postdoctoral associate in the laboratory of Dr. Mitra Lavasani at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, investigating the application of adult human stem cells and their therapeutic secreted factors to improve neuromuscular function in mouse models of aging. Furthermore, he assesses host and donor mechanisms that support tissue regeneration and behavioral phenotypic changes.

Chelsea Rugel

Shirley Ryan AbilityLab

Dr. Chelsea Rugel received her BS in psychology with a minor in biology from James Madison University in 2015. In 2022, she earned her PhD from Northwestern University's Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, where she investigated the relationship between peripheral nerve mechanical properties and histological changes associated with diabetic neuropathy. She is currently a postdoctoral associate in the laboratory of Dr. Mitra Lavasani, where she studies the mitigating effects of human multipotent stem cells on memory, behavior, and molecular markers of neurovascular pathology in naturally aged mice.

Collection Overview

Neuromuscular function is a critical component for both human survival and quality of life. Therefore, studying how neuromuscular cells and tissues work independently and together is essential to translational research. Our knowledge of the neuromuscular system has been developed through the years by studying diseases—such as muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy, and diabetic neuropathy—and injuries—including stroke, spinal cord contusion, and volumetric muscle loss. Recently, a large focus has been on the mechanisms that drive neuromuscular injury and age-associated degeneration, particularly in ALS and Alzheimer’s disease, and how these changes can be prevented or reversed. Thorough, investigative studies frequently include in vivo, ex vivo, and in vitro methods. The goal of this Methods Collection is to demonstrate and highlight modern methods from each approach to facilitate the study of neuromuscular cells and tissues, the effects of aging, and mechanisms of regeneration.