title: Advancements in stem cells treatment of skeletal muscle wasting.
abstract: Muscular dystrophies (MDs) are a heterogeneous group of inherited disorders, in which progressive muscle wasting and weakness is often associated with exhaustion of muscle regeneration potential. Although physiological properties of skeletal muscle tissue are now well known, no treatments are effective for these diseases. Muscle regeneration was attempted by means transplantation of myogenic cells (from myoblast to embryonic stem cells) and also by interfering with the malignant processes that originate in pathological tissues, such as uncontrolled fibrosis and inflammation. Taking into account the advances in the isolation of new subpopulation of stem cells and in the creation of artificial stem cell niches, we discuss how these emerging technologies offer great promises for therapeutic approaches to muscle diseases and muscle wasting associated with aging.
authors.affiliation: Stem Cell Laboratory, Dipartimento di Fisiopatologia Medico-Chirurgica e dei Trapianti, Centro Dino Ferrari, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Università degli Studi di Milano Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Mirella
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Meregalli
authors.affiliation: Stem Cell Laboratory, Dipartimento di Fisiopatologia Medico-Chirurgica e dei Trapianti, Centro Dino Ferrari, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Università degli Studi di Milano Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Farini
authors.affiliation: Stem Cell Laboratory, Dipartimento di Fisiopatologia Medico-Chirurgica e dei Trapianti, Centro Dino Ferrari, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Università degli Studi di Milano Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Clementina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sitzia
authors.affiliation: Stem Cell Laboratory, Dipartimento di Fisiopatologia Medico-Chirurgica e dei Trapianti, Centro Dino Ferrari, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Università degli Studi di Milano Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Yvan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Torrente
keywords: fibrosis; inflammation; muscle wasting; myogenic stem cell; stem cell niche