Still Alive and Regenerating
Not all muscle stem cells are made equal...
Losing muscle mass is a significant problem for older people and is partly due to a loss of the regenerative functions of satellite cells. Now, an international team of researchers have discovered a subgroup of satellite cells that maintain their regenerative capacity over time, declining only at geriatric age (1).
Their superior regenerative capacity is via the activation of the FoxO signaling pathway – previously associated with longevity – which is lost in later life.
The scientists hope that their findings will help "harness the potential of stem cells for regenerative medicine in sarcopenia,” with the door now open for therapeutic intervention targeting FoxO expression.
- L García-Prat et al., “FoxO maintains a genuine muscle stem-cell quiescent state until geriatric age” Nat Cel Bio, 22, 1307-1318 (2020). PMID: 33106654.
Over the course of my Biomedical Sciences degree it dawned on me that my goal of becoming a scientist didn’t quite mesh with my lack of affinity for lab work. Thinking on my decision to pursue biology rather than English at age 15 – despite an aptitude for the latter – I realized that science writing was a way to combine what I loved with what I was good at.
From there I set out to gather as much freelancing experience as I could, spending 2 years developing scientific content for International Innovation, before completing an MSc in Science Communication. After gaining invaluable experience in supporting the communications efforts of CERN and IN-PART, I joined Texere – where I am focused on producing consistently engaging, cutting-edge and innovative content for our specialist audiences around the world.
