Add BrightSurf on Google Email

UCLA stem cell scientists uncover for the first time why the human heart can't regenerate itself

Researchers at UCLA have found that adult human cardiac myocytes lose their ability to proliferate due to their primitive state being incompatible with proper heart function. This knowledge could lead to reprogramming a patient's own cardiac myocytes to replace damaged heart muscle, potentially revolutionizing treatments for heart cond...

SourceUniversity of California - Los Angeles Health Sciences·JournalJournal of Cell Biology·DateAug 8, 2011

Weakness in aging tied to leaky muscles

Research ties aging muscle weakness to leaky calcium channels in muscle cells. A drug already in Phase II clinical trials for heart failure may help repair these channels, restoring muscle function. The study's findings suggest a new approach to addressing age-related muscle wasting by focusing on muscle function rather than mass.

SourceCell Press·JournalCell Metabolism·DateAug 2, 2011

JCI online early table of contents: June 13, 2011

Researchers found that adult stem cells from the human nose can repair damaged brain tissue, while a cancer probe made of silica nanoparticles is effective at targeting tumors. Additionally, inhibiting a protein MRP4 could provide a new way to treat pulmonary hypertension.

SourceJCI Journals·JournalJournal of Clinical Investigation·DateJun 13, 2011

How muscle develops: A dance of cellular skeletons

Muscle cell fusion is crucial for understanding normal muscle growth and regeneration after injury or disease. Johns Hopkins researchers discovered the role of a regulatory protein called Blown Fuse in facilitating muscle cell merging by disrupting the WASP-WIP protein duo, which regulates cytoskeleton dynamics.

SourceJohns Hopkins Medicine·JournalDevelopmental Cell·DateJun 3, 2011

Animal studies reveal new route to treating heart disease

Researchers found that blocking the action of a signaling protein in cardiac muscle cells halted serious ill effects of high blood pressure on the heart, including enlargement and scar tissue formation. Further tests revealed potential new treatments for heart failure by targeting specific proteins involved in disease progression.

SourceJohns Hopkins Medicine·JournalJournal of Clinical Investigation·DateMay 2, 2011

NIH scientists identify gene that could hold the key to muscle repair

Researchers at the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases have identified a key player in muscle repair: the gene Ezh2. By activating this gene, satellite cells may proliferate and compensate for underlying defects, potentially increasing quality of life for individuals with degenerative diseases.

Free radicals may be good for you

A new study reveals that free radicals act as signal substances that increase the heart's contractions with the correct force. Persistent stress can lead to chronic levels of free radicals, potentially contributing to heart failure.

SourceKarolinska Institutet·JournalThe Journal of Physiology·DateFeb 28, 2011

Pitt team grows arteries with most elastic protein reported, big step for living vascular grafts

Pitt researchers have successfully grown arteries with high elasticity using baboon smooth muscle cells, containing 20% of the protein elastin found in natural arteries. The process resembles how it would be used in a patient and has the potential to overcome a major barrier to creating living-tissue replacements for damaged arteries.

SourceUniversity of Pittsburgh·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateJan 31, 2011

Discovery opens door to therapeutic development for FSH muscular dystrophy

A recent study has revealed a model for understanding Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy (FSHD), which is linked to the generation of toxic RNA that damages muscle cells. Variations in chromosome 4 play a crucial role in this process, and researchers have identified potential new treatments by silencing the effects of this RNA.

A strategy to fix a broken heart

Engineers and physicians at the University of Washington have developed a scaffold that supports the growth and integration of stem cell-derived cardiac muscle cells. The scaffold accelerates oxygen and nutrient supply to transplanted tissue, promoting heart repair and vascular tissue engineering.

SourceUniversity of Washington·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateAug 9, 2010

Researchers trace effects of genetic defect in myotonic muscular dystrophy

A study published in Nature Structural & Molecular Biology reveals that a genetic mutation disrupts an array of metabolic pathways in muscle cells by affecting two key proteins. The loss of either protein accounts for most molecular abnormalities associated with the disease, while loss of both also seems to play an important role.

SourceUniversity of California - Santa Cruz·JournalNature Structural & Molecular Biology·DateJan 24, 2010

JCI table of contents: Dec. 28, 2009

Researchers have identified Notch signaling pathway activation in human angiomyolipomas and TSC2-deficient rat cells, suggesting that TSC proteins regulate Notch activity. This finding supports the idea that Notch dysregulation may underlie some of the distinctive clinical features of Tuberous Sclerosis Complex.

SourceJCI Journals·JournalJournal of Clinical Investigation·DateDec 28, 2009

To keep muscles strong, the 'garbage' has to go

Researchers found that mice deficient in a gene required for autophagy develop muscle atrophy and weakening, resembling certain diseases. Maintaining normal autophagy levels is crucial to clear away damaged cells and prevent muscle weakness with age.

SourceCell Press·JournalCell Metabolism·DateDec 1, 2009

Cellular crosstalk linked to lung disease

Researchers identified a critical crosstalk pathway between lung epithelial cells and airway smooth muscle cells, contributing to lung diseases like asthma and pulmonary hypertension. The study provides potential new therapeutic targets for treating these conditions.

SourceJCI Journals·JournalJournal of Clinical Investigation·DateAug 17, 2009

JCI online early table of contents: August 17, 2009

Researchers identified miR-143 and miR-145 as key regulators of VSMC contractility and blood pressure. The study found that mice lacking these microRNAs had reduced contractile VSMCs and increased tissue matrix-producing cells, leading to signs of blood vessel disease.

SourceJCI Journals·JournalJournal of Clinical Investigation·DateAug 17, 2009

Tension in axons is essential for synaptic signaling, researchers report

Tiny membrane-bound compartments called vesicles rely on axon tension to dump neurotransmitters into the synapse. The researchers found that axons need tension to keep vesicles clustered near the synapse, essential for neuronal signaling. Further research is needed to understand the exact mechanism behind this process.

SourceUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, News Bureau·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateJul 20, 2009

Heart saves muscle

Researchers found that a heart muscle protein, ACTC, can compensate for a lack of skeletal muscle protein, ACTA1, in mice with myopathy. Mice with this compensation survived more than three months and showed improved endurance, locomotor performance, and muscle strength.

SourceRockefeller University Press·JournalJournal of Cell Biology·DateMay 25, 2009