Muscle Remodeling

Dystrophin restoration is not enough. Significant muscle damage and scaring is throught to be irreversible. This is a major challenge for gene, cell, and exon skipping therapies. Recent studies of muscle satellite cells and exercise suggest that muscle remodeling may be possible. Many of these studies focus on the aging of healthy muscle. However, the same mechanisms are likely to be at play in DMD and other dystrophinopathies.

Our muscles are constantly undergoing damage and repair. With exercise, this typically results in stronger and healthier muscle. When damage occurs faster than the muscle can repair, fibrosis occurs. This causes breakdown of the muscle with aging or in muscular dystrophy.

In this module, we review literature on muscle repair, inflamation, and fibrosis. The roles of satellite cells (muscle stem cells) and dystrophin are primary focal points. Emerging cell therapies and the role of exercise (with an without assistant devices) in gene therapies are also considered.