title: Muscle Satellite Cells: Exploring the Basic Biology to Rule Them.
abstract: Adult skeletal muscle is a postmitotic tissue with an enormous capacity to regenerate upon injury. This is accomplished by resident stem cells, named satellite cells, which were identified more than 50 years ago. Since their discovery, many researchers have been concentrating efforts to answer questions about their origin and role in muscle development, the way they contribute to muscle regeneration, and their potential to cell-based therapies. Satellite cells are maintained in a quiescent state and upon requirement are activated, proliferating, and fusing with other cells to form or repair myofibers. In addition, they are able to self-renew and replenish the stem pool. Every phase of satellite cell activity is highly regulated and orchestrated by many molecules and signaling pathways; the elucidation of players and mechanisms involved in satellite cell biology is of extreme importance, being the first step to expose the crucial points that could be modulated to extract the optimal response from these cells in therapeutic strategies. Here, we review the basic aspects about satellite cells biology and briefly discuss recent findings about therapeutic attempts, trying to raise questions about how basic biology could provide a solid scaffold to more successful use of these cells in clinics.
authors.affiliation: Human Genome and Stem Cell Research Center, IBUSP, Rua do Matão 106, Cidade Universitária, 5508-900 São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Camila F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Almeida
authors.affiliation: Human Genome and Stem Cell Research Center, IBUSP, Rua do Matão 106, Cidade Universitária, 5508-900 São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Stephanie A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Fernandes
authors.affiliation: Human Genome and Stem Cell Research Center, IBUSP, Rua do Matão 106, Cidade Universitária, 5508-900 São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Antonio F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Ribeiro Junior
authors.affiliation: Human Genome and Stem Cell Research Center, IBUSP, Rua do Matão 106, Cidade Universitária, 5508-900 São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Oswaldo
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-8528-6225
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Keith Okamoto
authors.affiliation: Human Genome and Stem Cell Research Center, IBUSP, Rua do Matão 106, Cidade Universitária, 5508-900 São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Mariz
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vainzof