Review
Cell Biology
Laura Yedigaryan, Martina Gatti, Vittoria Marini, Tullia Maraldi, Maurilio Sampaolesi
Summary: Cachexia and sarcopenia are significant conditions involving muscle loss, which can lead to mortality and disability. MicroRNAs play a key role in the development of muscle wasting in both cachexia and sarcopenia. Understanding the epigenetic mechanisms related to muscle loss in these conditions can help identify potential therapeutic interventions.
Article
Cell Biology
Shawna L. McMillin, Everett C. Minchew, Dawn A. Lowe, Espen E. Spangenburg
Summary: The importance of understanding sex differences in biological and physiological mechanisms is now more recognized. It is crucial to consider sex as a biological variable when developing interventions for muscle wasting conditions. However, the effects of sex or sex hormones on muscle wasting are still not well understood. While recent investigations are making progress in assessing the impact of sex-specific hormones, more scientific tools are needed in this field.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY-CELL PHYSIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Lorenzo Nevi, Noora Pollanen, Fabio Penna, Giuseppina Caretti
Summary: Epigenetic changes are associated with muscle wasting in various pathological conditions, and targeting HDACs and BET proteins may be a promising strategy to reverse this process.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Soumyalekshmi Nair, Dominic Guanzon, Nanthini Jayabalan, Andrew Lai, Katherin Scholz-Romero, Priyakshi Kalita de Croft, Valeska Ormazabal, Carlos Palma, Emilio Diaz, Elizabeth A. McCarthy, Alexis Shub, Jezid Miranda, Eduard Gratacos, Fatima Crispi, Gregory Duncombe, Martha Lappas, H. David McIntyre, Gregory Rice, Carlos Salomon
Summary: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) poses a significant public health concern, affecting 9-15% of pregnancies worldwide. This study found that EV-associated miRNAs in GDM patients undergo significant changes during gestation and can be effectively used for classification. A set of proteins associated with JAK-STAT signaling in skeletal muscle biopsies from GDM patients was identified, which may be targeted by the miRNA-92a-3p carried by circulating EVs. Overexpression of miRNA-92a-3p was shown to increase insulin sensitivity in primary skeletal muscle cells.
JOURNAL OF TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE
(2021)
Review
Hospitality, Leisure, Sport & Tourism
Junghoon Lee
Summary: This study systematically reviewed and quantified the effects of resistance training on muscular strength and hypertrophy in elderly cancer patients. The results showed that resistance training significantly improved muscular strength but did not have a significant impact on muscle hypertrophy.
JOURNAL OF SPORT AND HEALTH SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Yu Zhang, Takahiko Nishiyama, Eric N. Olson, Rhonda Bassel-Duby
Summary: Muscular dystrophies are a group of neuromuscular disorders with genetic causes that lead to muscle loss and degeneration. The CRISPR/Cas system offers a new path for treatment, potentially correcting genetic mutations permanently and benefiting skeletal muscle due to its post-mitotic and multinucleated features. However, challenges remain for translating CRISPR/Cas genome editing into a viable therapy for muscular dystrophies.
EXPERIMENTAL CELL RESEARCH
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Isabelle Alldritt, Paul L. Greenhaff, Daniel J. Wilkinson
Summary: This article highlights the impact of muscle deconditioning on locomotor function and metabolic health, as well as the potential role of metabolomics in studying muscle decline. By analyzing the metabolite composition within cells, metabolomics can uncover the pathophysiological characteristics of muscle mass loss and deconditioning.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Review
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Norman Mangner, Ephraim B. Winzer, Axel Linke, Volker Adams
Summary: This review provides a contemporary summary of the clinical and molecular alterations in the skeletal muscles of heart failure patients, with a focus on the effects on locomotor and respiratory muscles, particularly the diaphragm. It also discusses current and future therapeutic options, mainly focusing on the effects of exercise training.
FRONTIERS IN CARDIOVASCULAR MEDICINE
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Amelia Eva Aranega, Estefania Lozano-Velasco, Lara Rodriguez-Outeirino, Felicitas Ramirez de Acuna, Diego Franco, Francisco Hernandez-Torres
Summary: miRNAs play a critical role in modulating muscle regeneration and stem cell behavior, which is essential for treating muscle disorders. Recent advancements suggest that optimizing muscle stem cell response through miRNAs, in conjunction with gene replacement therapies, can improve muscle regeneration in the context of DMD.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Yoshinari Matsumoto, Yuko Sugioka, Masahiro Tada, Tadashi Okano, Kenji Mamoto, Kentaro Inui, Daiki Habu, Tatsuya Koike
Summary: In female patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), low skeletal muscle mass index (SMI) was associated with higher levels of LDL-cholesterol, ApoB, and ApoB/A1 ratio. Sequential changes in SMI and lipid parameters showed significant negative relationships in RA patients, independent of age, RA duration, exercise habits, medication, disease severity, activities of daily living, and body fat mass. No significant association was found between appendicular skeletal muscle mass index (ASMI) and glycometabolism parameters in RA patients.
CLINICAL NUTRITION
(2021)
Review
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Muriel Giron, Muriel Thomas, Dominique Dardevet, Christophe Chassard, Isabelle Savary-Auzeloux
Summary: Evidence suggests that gut microbiota composition and diversity can have an impact on skeletal muscle metabolism and functionality. The signals generated by the gut microbiome can regulate muscle functionality via modulation of inflammation and insulin sensitivity. More studies are needed to identify specific strains of bacteria that can optimize muscle mass and function. Personalized nutrition and testing the efficiency of probiotics in different populations are essential. The combination of bacteria, prebiotics, and other supplements may be the best approach to preserve muscle functionality in individuals of all ages.
JOURNAL OF CACHEXIA SARCOPENIA AND MUSCLE
(2022)
Review
Physiology
Xiangsheng Pang, Peng Zhang, Xiaoping Chen, Wenming Liu
Summary: This paper provides a comprehensive view of different types of muscle atrophy and emphasizes the role of the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. By examining recent scholarly advancements, it explores the association between the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway and specific pathological conditions linked to muscle atrophy.
FRONTIERS IN PHYSIOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Nutrition & Dietetics
Junjie Wang, Shanjun Tan, Luca Gianotti, Guohao Wu
Summary: Wasting in cancer patients adversely affects their quality of life, treatment tolerance, and oncological outcomes. Evaluating this condition solely based on body weight is not accurate, as it includes changes in all body compartments and may be masked by conditions such as edema and ascites. Historically, body composition assessment in cancer patients has been underappreciated due to limited measurement tools. However, as the importance of body composition is increasingly recognized, a more precise evaluation and targeted approach to nutritional support for cancer patients is crucial.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Coralie Croissant, Romain Carmeille, Charlotte Brevart, Anthony Bouter
Summary: Muscular dystrophies are genetic disorders characterized by weakening and loss of skeletal muscle mass. ANXA proteins are important for membrane repair in cells, and dysregulation of ANXA expression may impact the clinical severity of muscular dystrophies.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Amirabbas Nikkhah, Hanieh-Sadat Ejtahed, Fateme Ettehad Marvasti, MinaSadat Taghavi, Azin Pakmehr, Firouzeh Hajipour, Bagher Larijani
Summary: This systematic review examines the associations between gut microbiota alterations and skeletal muscle wasting in humans and animals. The findings suggest that gut microbiota dysbiosis affects muscle wasting through various pathways. Specific changes in gut microbiota composition, such as a reduction in SCFAs-producing bacteria and an increase in pro-inflammatory bacteria, were observed in age-related sarcopenia and liver cirrhosis-induced sarcopenia. The review highlights the importance of understanding the role of gut microbiota in skeletal muscle wasting and its potential as a therapeutic target.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Leo Machado, Perla Geara, Jordi Camps, Matthieu Dos Santos, Fatima Teixeira-Clerc, Jens Van Herck, Hugo Varet, Rachel Legendre, Jean-Michel Pawlotsky, Maurilio Sampaolesi, Thierry Voet, Pascal Maire, Frederic Relaix, Philippos Mourikis
Summary: Tissue damage alters cell-microenvironment interactions, influencing cells' responses. Muscle stem cell activation after injury serves as a paradigm of cell activation, while a broadly conserved stress response is shared across different cell types.
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Fabiola Marino, Mariangela Scalise, Nadia Salerno, Luca Salerno, Claudia Molinaro, Donato Cappetta, Michele Torella, Marta Greco, Daniela Foti, Ferdinando C. Sasso, Pasquale Mastroroberto, Antonella De Angelis, Georgina M. Ellison-Hughes, Maurilio Sampaolesi, Marcello Rota, Francesco Rossi, Konrad Urbanek, Bernardo Nadal-Ginard, Daniele Torella, Eleonora Cianflone
Summary: Diabetes mellitus affects the biology of cardiac stem/progenitor cells, inhibiting their regenerative potential. By clearing senescent cells, the function of these cells can be restored, resulting in improved cardiac function in diabetic patients.
Article
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Robin Duelen, Domiziana Costamagna, Guillaume Gilbert, Liesbeth De Waele, Nathalie Goemans, Kaat Desloovere, Catherine M. Verfaillie, Karin R. Sipido, Gunnar M. Buyse, Maurilio Sampaolesi
Summary: This study utilized DMD patient-specific hiPSCs to model cardiomyopathy and uncovered the mechanism of oxidative stress in DMD cardiomyocytes. Targeting ROS production and preventing the detrimental effects of NOX4 on DMD CMs were proposed as promising therapeutic strategies.
Review
Cell Biology
Laura Yedigaryan, Martina Gatti, Vittoria Marini, Tullia Maraldi, Maurilio Sampaolesi
Summary: Cachexia and sarcopenia are significant conditions involving muscle loss, which can lead to mortality and disability. MicroRNAs play a key role in the development of muscle wasting in both cachexia and sarcopenia. Understanding the epigenetic mechanisms related to muscle loss in these conditions can help identify potential therapeutic interventions.
Article
Cell Biology
Vittoria Marini, Fabiola Marino, Flaminia Aliberti, Nefele Giarratana, Enrico Pozzo, Robin Duelen, Alvaro Cortes Calabuig, Rita La Rovere, Tim Vervliet, Daniele Torella, Geert Bultynck, Maurilio Sampaolesi, Yoke Chin Chai
Summary: In this study, cardiac organoids were generated from patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells to model Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD)-related cardiomyopathy. The organoids exhibited progressive loss of sarcoglycan localization, endoplasmic reticulum stress, cardiomyocyte deterioration, fibrosis, and aberrant adipogenesis over time. RNA sequencing analysis identified distinct transcriptomic profiles and crucial miRNAs associated with DMD-related cardiomyopathy. These findings suggest the potential for developing in vitro 3D human cardiac-mimics to study DMD-related cardiomyopathies.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Domiziana Costamagna, Valerie Casters, Marc Beltra, Maurilio Sampaolesi, Anja Van Campenhout, Els Ortibus, Kaat Desloovere, Robin Duelen
Summary: This study generated in vitro human neuromuscular junctions (NMJs) using a microfluidic strategy from patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) lines to model disease-relevant neuropathologic processes in hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP). The unique strength of this NMJ model is its ability to generate lower motor neurons (MNs) and myotubes from autologous hiPSC origin while maintaining the genetic background of HSP patient donors. The study found that HSP-derived lines exhibited axonal swellings, reduced levels of SPASTIN protein, and impaired NMJ profiles, offering unique tools to study the pathologic mechanisms of HSP.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Marc Beltra, Fabrizio Pin, Domiziana Costamagna, Robin Duelen, Alessandra Renzini, Riccardo Ballaro, Lorena Garcia-Castillo, Ambra Iannuzzi, Viviana Moresi, Dario Coletti, Maurilio Sampaolesi, Fabio Penna, Paola Costelli
Summary: This study reveals that overexpression of PGC-1 alpha in myofibers alters the proportion of MuSCs and ISCs, leading to enhanced fusion of myogenic progenitors with recipient myofibers and reduced adipogenesis in skeletal muscle.
Article
Cell Biology
Tim Vervliet, Robin Duelen, Ankit Pradhan, Rita La Rovere, H. Llewelyn Roderick, Maurilio Sampaolesi
Summary: Bcl-2 plays a crucial role in the differentiation of cardiomyocytes, and its loss delays the induction of pluripotent stem cells into cardiomyocytes, leading to reduced expression and activity of the cardiomyocyte Ca2+ toolkit, as well as decreased c-Myc expression and nuclear localization in the early phase of cardiac differentiation.
JOURNAL OF CELL SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Laura Yedigaryan, Ester Martinez-Sarra, Giorgia Giacomazzi, Nefele Giarratana, Bernard K. van der Veer, Alessio Rotini, Silvia Querceto, Hanne Grosemans, Alvaro Cortes-Calabuig, Sara Salucci, Michela Battistelli, Elisabetta Falcieri, Rik Gijsbers, Mattia Quattrocelli, Kian Peng Koh, Liesbeth De Waele, Gunnar M. Buyse, Rita Derua, Maurilio Sampaolesi
Summary: This study identifies an extracellular vesicle-derived miRNA signature that enhances the myogenic potential of myogenic stem cells, leading to improvements in muscle degeneration and muscle wasting related diseases.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Genetics & Heredity
Giulio Cossu, Rossana Tonlorenzi, Silvia Brunelli, Maurilio Sampaolesi, Graziella Messina, Emanuele Azzoni, Sara Benedetti, Stefano Biressi, Chiara Bonfanti, Laricia Bragg, Jordi Camps, Ornella Cappellari, Marco Cassano, Fabio Ciceri, Marcello Coletta, Diego Covarello, Stefania Crippa, M. Gabriella Cusella-De Angelis, Luciana De Angelis, Arianna Dellavalle, Jordi Diaz-Manera, Daniela Galli, Francesco Galli, Cesare Gargioli, Mattia F. M. Gerli, Giorgia Giacomazzi, Beatriz G. Galvez, Hidetoshi Hoshiya, Maria Guttinger, Anna Innocenzi, M. Giulia Minasi, Laura Perani, Stefano C. Previtali, Mattia Quattrocelli, Martina Ragazzi, Urmas Roostalu, Giuliana Rossi, Raffaella Scardigli, Dario Sirabella, Francesco Saverio Tedesco, Yvan Torrente, Gonzalo Ugarte
Summary: In 2002, we discovered a group of vessel-associated progenitors called mesoangioblasts (MABs). Studies over the past decade have shown that muscle development and regeneration are more complex than previously thought. We identified the origin of MABs as partly from the embryonic aorta and later from the microvasculature of skeletal muscle. MABs could be expanded in vitro and cross the vessel wall, making them a potential choice for cell therapy of muscular dystrophies.
FRONTIERS IN GENETICS
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Martina Gatti, Katarina Stoklund Dittlau, Francesca Beretti, Laura Yedigaryan, Manuela Zavatti, Pietro Cortelli, Carla Palumbo, Emma Bertucci, Ludo van den Bosch, Maurilio Sampaolesi, Tullia Maraldi
Summary: Neuromuscular junctions are important for communication between spinal motor neurons and skeletal muscle, and their vulnerability in degenerative diseases like muscle atrophy is poorly understood. Recent studies have shown the regenerative potential of stem cells and extracellular vesicles in muscle fiber regeneration, but their role in counteracting NMJ perturbations is not clear. In this study, a co-culture system was used to investigate the effects of AFSC-derived EVs on NMJ alterations induced by muscle atrophy. The presence of EVs reduced morphological and functional defects and prevented oxidative stress in atrophic myotubes. This study provides a valuable tool for studying MN and myotube interactions and demonstrates the efficacy of AFSC-EVs in counteracting NMJ perturbations.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Physiology
Laura Yedigaryan, Maurilio Sampaolesi
Summary: Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a severe disorder caused by mutations in the dystrophin gene, leading to muscle fiber degradation and weakness. Extracellular vesicles (EVs), secreted by cells, may play a role in DMD pathology and could serve as biomarkers for specific pathological processes. Additionally, EVs can be used for targeted cargo delivery and inhibition of EV secretion, providing potential therapeutic strategies for DMD.
FRONTIERS IN PHYSIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
M. Corvelyn, J. Meirlevede, J. Deschrevel, E. Huyghe, E. De Wachter, G. Gayan-Ramirez, M. Sampaolesi, A. Van Campenhout, K. Desloovere, D. Costamagna
Summary: Cerebral palsy (CP) is a common condition causing lifelong physical disability in children. Previous studies have shown changes in muscle properties, such as decreased number of satellite cells and altered fusion capacity. However, these observations vary widely among studies, possibly due to differences in patient population, lack of control data, methodology, and muscle assessment. This study aimed to further investigate CP muscle pathology and confirm previous findings of increased satellite cell fusion capacity.
Article
Cell Biology
Domiziana Costamagna, Valeria Bastianini, Marlies Corvelyn, Robin Duelen, Jorieke Deschrevel, Nathalie De Beukelaer, Hannah De Houwer, Maurilio Sampaolesi, Ghislaine Gayan-Ramirez, Anja Van Campenhout, Kaat Desloovere
Summary: This study aims to clarify the impact of BoNT on growing muscles by analyzing the effect of BoNT on muscle stem cells in vitro, and by following the effect of in vivo BoNT administration on these cells obtained from children with CP. The results show that in vitro BoNT does not affect muscle differentiation or collagen production, but it does affect neuromuscular junctions. Further studies are needed to understand the long-term and collateral effects of BoNT in the muscles of children with CP.
