Cited by 677Muscle Physiology and DisordersMesenchymal stem cell researchNeurogenetic and Muscular Disorders Research

Rejuvenation of the muscle stem cell population restores strength to injured aged muscles

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Cosgrove, Benjamin D, Gilbert, Penney M, Porpiglia, Ermelinda, Mourkioti, Foteini, Lee, Steven P, Corbel, Stephane Y, Llewellyn, Michael E, Delp, Scott L +1 more·2014·Nature Medicine

Abstract

The elderly often suffer from progressive muscle weakness and regenerative failure. We demonstrate that muscle regeneration is impaired with aging owing in part to a cell-autonomous functional decline in skeletal muscle stem cells (MuSCs). Two-thirds of MuSCs from aged mice are intrinsically defective relative to MuSCs from young mice, with reduced capacity to repair myofibers and repopulate the stem cell reservoir in vivo following transplantation. This deficiency is correlated with a higher incidence of cells that express senescence markers and is due to elevated activity of the p38α and p38β mitogen-activated kinase pathway. We show that these limitations cannot be overcome by transplantation into the microenvironment of young recipient muscles. In contrast, subjecting the MuSC population from aged mice to transient inhibition of p38α and p38β in conjunction with culture on soft hydrogel substrates rapidly expands the residual functional MuSC population from aged mice, rejuvenating its potential for regeneration and serial transplantation as well as strengthening of damaged muscles of aged mice. These findings reveal a synergy between biophysical and biochemical cues that provides a paradigm for a localized autologous muscle stem cell therapy for the elderly.

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Crossref · 10.1038/nm.3464

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  • p38 MAPK inhibition has been suggested as an anti-SASP strategy.

    “p38 Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) inhibition has been suggested as an anti-SASP strategy.150”
  • In aging, the capacity of MuSCs to repair injured muscle declines markedly.

    “With aging, muscle tissue homeostasis is progressively disrupted and the ability of MuSCs to repair injured muscle markedly declines.”
  • Rejuvenating aged MuSCs requires both biophysical and biochemical cues, suggesting that extrinsic and intrinsic factors must act synergistically.

    “Thus, a combination of biophysical and biochemical cues is required to rejuvenate the aged MuSC population, suggesting that a synergistic interplay of extrinsic and intrinsic factors is necessary.”
  • These findings suggest that changing MuSC function or phenotype in aged muscle will improve repair and may also alleviate sarcopenia.

    “These findings suggest that altering the function or phenotype of MuSCs in aged muscle tissue will enhance muscle repair29 and may also ameliorate sarcopenia61.”
  • The changes include cell-autonomous activation of p38α/β MAPK, FGFR-Sprouty1, Jak2-Stat3, and p16Ink4a-Rb pathways.

    “These changes include aberrant and cell-autonomous activation of the stress-associated p38α/β mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling axis, the growth factor-stimulated FGFR–Sprouty1 signaling axis, the cytokine-stimulated Jak2–Stat3 signaling axis, and p16Ink4a (also known as Cdkn2a)–Rb cell cycle inhibitors25,27,29,55,56 (Fig. 2).”

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Authors
Cosgrove, B. D., Gilbert, P. M., Porpiglia, E., Mourkioti, F., Lee, S. P., Corbel, S. Y., Llewellyn, M. E., Delp, S. L., & Blau, H. M.
Affiliations
  • Stanford Medicine (US)
  • University of Toronto (CA)
Corresponding author
  • Gilbert, Penney M
  • Blau, Helen M
Venue
Nature Medicine
Published
2014-02-16
Volume
20
Issue
3
Pages
255-264
ISSN
  • 1078-8956 (ISSN-L)
  • 1546-170X
OpenAlex
W2138514622
Cited by
677
References
63
Citations by year
2026: 47 · 2025: 28 · 2024: 46 · 2023: 49 · 2022: 49 · 2021: 78 · 2020: 61 · 2019: 43 · 2018: 61 · 2017: 61 · 2016: 73 · 2015: 52 · 2014: 27
FWCI
29.10
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Nature Medicine (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institute on Aging (K99AG042491, R01AG009521, R21AG044815, R01AG020961)
  • National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (U01HL100397, U01HL099997, R01HL096113)
  • National Cancer Institute (T32CA009151, R25CA118681)
  • National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (R01AR063963, K99AR061465)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Muscle Physiology and Disorders
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Genetics › Mesenchymal stem cell research
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Genetics › Neurogenetic and Muscular Disorders Research
Keywords
muscle stem cells, skeletal muscle aging, age-related sarcopenia, muscle regeneration, cellular senescence, stem cell rejuvenation, hydrogel substrates, biophysical cues, autologous stem cell therapy, muscle strength
MeSH terms
Aging, Animals, Female, Male, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Mice, Transgenic, Muscles, Phenotype, Phosphoproteins, Regeneration, Rejuvenation, Stem Cells, Time Factors, Mice, SCID, Mice, Inbred NOD, Cellular Senescence, Cell Transplantation, Muscle Fibers, Skeletal, Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p16, Hydrogels, Stem Cell Transplantation, Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 11, Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 14, Cell Proliferation, Green Fluorescent Proteins, Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21, Mice, Muscle Strength

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