News Releases & Research Results Activation of muscle stem cells by damaged muscles: Clues for elucidation of the pathogenesis of muscle diseases and the development of drugs for their treatment

The results of collaborative research conducted by Researcher Yoshifumi Tsuchiya and Associate Professor Yusuke Ono of the Department of Muscle Development and Regeneration, Institute of Molecular Embryology and Genetics, Kumamoto University, Assistant Professor Hiroshi Masumoto of Nagasaki University, and others.

• The research group discovered that extracts from damaged muscles induce the activation of muscle stem cells.
• Specifically, a muscle injury model was established with a culture system, and it was observed that extracts from damaged myofibers [named "damaged-myofiber-derived factors (DMDFs)"] activated skeletal muscle tissue stem cells called satellite cells to regenerate the damaged myofibers.
• The results of this research will possibly help elucidate the pathogenesis of muscle diseases and aid the development of drugs for their treatment.

This program was conducted with support from the Practical Research Project for Rare/Intractable Diseases and the Research Center Network for Realization of Regenerative Medicine by AMED.

The results of this research project were published online in Stem Cell Reports, the official journal of the International Society for Stem Cell Research, on September 4.

Tsuchiya Y., et al. Damaged myofiber-derived metabolic enzymes act as activators of muscle satellite cells Stem Cell Reports
DOI：10.1016/j.stemcr.2020.08.002