title: Muscle stem cells at a glance.
abstract: Muscle stem cells facilitate the long-term regenerative capacity of skeletal muscle. This self-renewing population of satellite cells has only recently been defined through genetic and transplantation experiments. Although muscle stem cells remain in a dormant quiescent state in uninjured muscle, they are poised to activate and produce committed progeny. Unlike committed myogenic progenitor cells, the self-renewal capacity gives muscle stem cells the ability to engraft as satellite cells and capitulate long-term regeneration. Similar to other adult stem cells, understanding the molecular regulation of muscle stem cells has significant implications towards the development of pharmacological or cell-based therapies for muscle disorders. This Cell Science at a Glance article and accompanying poster will review satellite cell characteristics and therapeutic potential, and provide an overview of the muscle stem cell hallmarks: quiescence, self-renewal and commitment.
authors.affiliation: Sprott Centre for Stem Cell Research, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON K1H 8L6, Canada Faculty of Medicine, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada.
authors.forename: Yu Xin
authors.initials: YX
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Sprott Centre for Stem Cell Research, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON K1H 8L6, Canada Faculty of Medicine, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada.
authors.forename: Nicolas A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Dumont
authors.affiliation: Sprott Centre for Stem Cell Research, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON K1H 8L6, Canada Faculty of Medicine, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada mrudnicki@ohri.ca.
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Rudnicki
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D051379:Mice; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000166:cytology*; D051763:PAX7 Transcription Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D032496:Satellite Cells, Skeletal Muscle / Q000166:cytology; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D051763:PAX7 Transcription Factor
keywords: Regeneration; Satellite cells; Skeletal muscle; Stem cells; Therapy