[Plasticity of skeletal muscle differentiation generating stem cell-like phenotype: possible application to cell therapy for muscular diseases].
Drug therapy, gene therapy, and cell therapy may be effective to degenerative muscular diseases caused by genetic mutations including muscular dystrophy. Stem cells including embryonic stem (ES) cells and adult stem cells (tissue stem cells) are generally believed to be applicable to cell therapy. However, both types of cells have several problems to be solved for the cell therapy. We have shown that the expression of SV40 large T antigen in terminally differentiated mouse C2 skeletal muscle myotubes induce mitosis and dedifferentiation. This finding has exploded the concept that terminally differentiated cells never proliferate. It remains to be determined, however, whether mature myofibers in vivo are capable of dedifferentiation and proliferation. Here we present the data showing that mouse myofibers dedifferentiate and proliferate to form many mononucleated cells. Eventually, these dedifferentiated cells redifferentiate and regenerate myofibers. The isolated dedifferentiated cells show stem cell-like phenotype. These cells are expected to be applied to the cell therapy for degenerative muscular diseases.
Endo
Takeshi
T
Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiba University.
D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D018485:Muscle Fibers, Skeletal / Q000166:cytology*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000166:cytology*; D009135:Muscular Diseases / Q000628:therapy; D010641:Phenotype; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation; D013234:Stem Cells