Ottawa scientists discover new way to enhance stem cells to stimulate muscle reg

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Ottawa scientists discover new way to enhance stem cells to stimulate muscle

regeneration

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-06/ohri-osd060309.php

Scientists at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (OHRI) and the University

of Ottawa have discovered a powerful new way to stimulate muscle regeneration,

paving the way for new treatments for debilitating conditions such as muscular

dystrophy.

The research, to be published in the June 5 issue of Cell Stem Cell, shows for

the first time that a protein called Wnt7a increases the number of stem cells in

muscle tissue, leading to accelerated growth and repair of skeletal muscle.

" This discovery shows us that by targeting stem cells to boost their numbers, we

can improve the body's ability to repair muscle tissue, " said senior author Dr.

Rudnicki. Dr. Rudnicki is the Scientific Director of Canada's Stem Cell

Network and a Senior Scientist at OHRI and Director of OHRI's Sprott Centre for

Stem Cell Research, as well as a Professor of Medicine at the University of

Ottawa.

Stem cells give rise to every tissue and organ in the body. Satellite stem cells

are specialized muscle stem cells that live in adult skeletal muscle tissue and

have the ability to both replicate and differentiate into various types of

muscle cells. Dr. Rudnicki's team found that the Wnt7a protein, when introduced

into mouse muscle tissue, significantly increased the population of these

satellite stem cells and fueled the regeneration process, creating bigger and

stronger muscles. Muscle tissue mass was increased by nearly 20 per cent in the

study.

" Our findings point the way to the development of new therapeutic treatment for

muscular diseases such as muscular dystrophy, sarcopenia and muscle wasting

conditions resulting from extended hospital stays and surgeries, " said Dr.

Rudnicki.

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This project was funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the

Muscular Dystrophy Association, the National Institutes of Health, the

Medical Institute, Canada's Stem Cell Network and the Canada Research

Chairs Program.

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