Stem Cells. Courtesy of Getty Images Bank
One of the rare diseases, ‘Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy’, is caused by a mutation in a gene that controls muscle protein. At first, it weakens muscle fibers, but later interferes with normal muscle regeneration, which is life-threatening.
While the academic community is paying attention to the method of regenerating muscle stem cells to treat Duchenne’s muscular dystrophy, a French research team has found that the regenerative power of muscle stem cells can be increased by focusing on the muscles around the eyes that do not age easily among the muscles in our body. presented research results. footThe research results of the research team of the 12th researcher Rentina Tagiletti in Paris, France were published on the 1st (local time) in the international journal ‘Science Medicine’.
The research team investigated the condition of muscle tissue in patients suffering from Duchenne muscular dystrophy and laboratory rats. As a result of the analysis, most of the muscles of patients and mice suffering from this disease showed that the ability of muscle stem cells to recover was reduced, and early signs of cellular aging were observed.
However, such muscle weakness did not appear in the muscles around the eyes. Muscle stem cells present in the muscles surrounding the eyeball were not significantly different from healthy muscles. The research team conducted a transcriptome analysis to determine the exact state of the muscle in this area. Transcriptome analysis is the task of examining all RNA molecules present in a cell at a given time and situation. You can identify which genes activate which functions in the body.
Through transcriptome analysis, the research team found that muscle stem cells surrounding the eyeball express the thyroid stimulating hormone receptor (TSHR), which helps prevent premature aging of the cells. It was also confirmed that it activates adenylate cyclase, which stimulates hormones, neurotransmitters, and physiologically active substances.
Stem cells from the muscles around the eyes have been shown to be effective in treating muscle weakness. Among muscle stem cells, a compound extracted from the site that activates adenylate cyclase is weakened.
When injected into the muscles, the muscle stem cells proliferated and the muscles increased. It was also confirmed that muscle strength and endurance improved in physical tests.
Researcher Tagiletti, who led the study, said, “This study can be the first clue to developing drugs to treat diseases that cause muscle weakness.