Dissecting the transcriptional regulatory network that controls muscle stem cell regeneration capacity.
Muscle stem cell (MuSC), also known as satellite cell, is the major cell type that directly contributes to skeletal muscle development, growth and repair. In a broad spectrum of pathologic conditions such as muscular dystrophy, aging, and cachexia (devastating weight loss as well as muscle wasting associate with chronic conditions, such as cancer, diabetes, HIV, and multiple sclerosis), the deleterious stem-cell “niche” and accumulation of cell-intrinsic damages lead to a marked decline of muscle stem cell repair ability. MuSC transplantation offers great promise to treat muscular disorders, but its application has been hindered by a lack of understanding of the gene regulation mechanism that preserve stem cell long-term regenerative potency. Our group will strive to expand the understanding of the transcriptional regulatory network, which involves epigenetic, trans- and cis-acting factors and controls muscle stem cell quiescence, activation, self-renewal, and cell fate determination in health, disease, and aging. In the long run, we hope to translate the knowledge into innovative stem-cell based therapies to treat muscular disorders.
Muscle stem cell (MuSC), also known as satellite cell, is the major cell type that directly contributes to skeletal muscle development, growth and repair. In a broad spectrum of pathologic conditions such as muscular dystrophy, aging, and cachexia (devastating weight loss as well as muscle wasting associate with chronic conditions, such as cancer, diabetes, HIV, and multiple sclerosis), the deleterious stem-cell “niche” and accumulation of cell-intrinsic damages lead to a marked decline of muscle stem cell repair ability. MuSC transplantation offers great promise to treat muscular disorders, but its application has been hindered by a lack of understanding of the gene regulation mechanism that preserve stem cell long-term regenerative potency. Our group will strive to expand the understanding of the transcriptional regulatory network, which involves epigenetic, trans- and cis-acting factors and controls muscle stem cell quiescence, activation, self-renewal, and cell fate determination in health, disease, and aging. In the long run, we hope to translate the knowledge into innovative stem-cell based therapies to treat muscular disorders.