A new study has found a protein that is a key player in the process of joining nerves to muscles. The protein biglycan needs to be present to stabilize synapses at the neuromuscular junction after they have formed, according to research led by Brown University that appears in the Feb. 14, 2012, issue of the Journal of Neruoscience. The research may be relevant to efforts to treat motor neuron diseases, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, Lou Gherig’s Disease) and spinal muscular atrophy. “What neuromuscular junctions do second-by-second is essential for our brain to control movement and they are also important for the long-term health of both muscle and motor neurons,” said Justin Fallon, profesor of neuroscience at Brown University and the paper’s senior author. “A treatment that sustains or supports the synapse could promote the health of motor neurons and muscle.”