Directing Yamanaka Factors in Muscle Regeneration
August 3, 2021 | Terry Sharrer
“In muscle regeneration, Yamanaka factors seem to act on muscle stem cells called satellite cells. These don’t reside in the muscle fibers themselves but in a “niche” between that and a layer of connective tissue called the basal lamina. In tests in mice, the researchers [at the Salk Institute] introduced Yamanaka factors into one of two areas – the muscle fibers or the niche containing the satellite cells. Counter-intuitively, the team found that trying to directly stimulate the muscle stem cells didn’t activate them. But when the factors were added to the muscle fibers, the message seemed to cross over into the niche and activate the satellite cells to boost muscle regeneration.” MORE
Image Credit: Salk Institute and NeuroscienceNews.com