STANFORD, Calif., Sept. 22 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists say they're the first to confirm that so-called satellite cells in muscle fibers harbor a stem cell that can repair skeletal muscle in mice.
Stanford University researchers said identifying and isolating such a cell in humans would have profound therapeutic implications for disorders such as muscular dystrophy and muscle wasting.
"We were able to show at the single-cell level that these cells are true, multi-potent stem cells," said Professor Helen Blau. "They fit the classic definition: they can both self-renew and give rise to specialized progeny."
Although many researchers suspected satellite cells included muscle stem cells, it was difficult to prove because not all satellite cells are identical. Researcher Alessandra Sacco overcame that problem by isolating satellite cells from a mouse genetically engineered to express a glowing protein, luciferase. She then used an imaging technique developed at Stanford to follow the satellite cells after transplantation into living animals that did not express the protein.
"To be able to detect the presence of the cells by bioluminescence was really a breakthrough," said Blau. "We could see how the cells were responding and really monitor their dynamics."
The study is detailed in the online edition of the journal Nature.
