Sep. 27, 2012 Working with mice, Johns Hopkins researchers have
solved a key part of a muscle regeneration mystery plaguing
scientists for years, adding strong support to the theory that
muscle mass can be built without a complete, fully functional
supply of muscle stem cells. "This is good news for those with
muscular dystrophy and other muscle wasting disorders that
involve diminished stem cell function," says Se-Jin Lee, M.D.,
Ph.D., lead author of a report on the research in the August
issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,
and professor of molecular biology and genetics at the Johns
Hopkins University School of Medicine. Muscle stem cells, known
as satellite cells, reside next to muscle fibers and are usually
dormant in adult mammals, including humans. After exercise or
injury, they are stimulated to divide and fuse, either with
themselves or with nearby muscle fibers, to increase or replace
muscle mass. In muscle wasting disorders, like muscular
dystrophy, muscle degeneration init