Stem cells to build muscles

Beginning on page 909, De Bari et al. describe a cell- based therapeutic strategy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), the most common lethal genetic disorder in children. Although clinical studies are still a long way off, the results highlight the importance of secondary events in the pathogenesis of DMD and demonstrate the potential of a novel source of human adult stem cells.

DMD is caused by a lack of dystrophin at the sarcolemma of muscle fibers, resulting in irreversible degeneration of skeletal muscle once the satellite cells needed for regeneration have been depleted. Having identified a population of mesenchymal stem cells that can be cultured from the synovial membranes of adult human donors, the authors tested the muscle-regenerating capacity of the cells in two mouse models.

When transplanted into nude...