Boosting Muscle Stem Cells to Treat Muscular Dystrophy and Aging Muscles

A study published in Nature Communications details how scientists from Sanford Burnham Prebys found a molecular signaling pathway which regulates how muscle stem cells decide to self-renew or differentiate, reports Medical Xpress . "We believe we have found promising drug targets that direct muscle stem cells to 'make the right decision' and stimulate muscle repair, potentially helping muscle tissue regeneration and maintaining tissue function in chronic conditions such as muscular dystrophy and aging," said Sanford Burnham Prebys Professor Alessandra Sacco. The team employed mouse models to show how the protein Stat3 encourages mitochondrial respiration, and find additional Stat-3-regulated proteins that might function as more specific targets. One such protein was Fam3a, which additional research demonstrated was required for muscle stem cell differentiation and muscle growth. The secretion of Fam3a by muscle cells during muscle repair led to the discovery that treatment with the protein restored mitochondrial respiration and stem cell differentiation in muscle stem cells where Stat3 was missing.