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Hyaluranic acid awakens stem cells to start muscle repair
A new study published in the journal Science reveals a unique form of cellular communication that controls muscle repair. In damaged muscle, stem cells must work with immune cells to complete the repair process, but how these cells coordinate to ensure that dead tissue is efficiently removed before new muscle fibers are formed is still unknown. Scientists have now shown that a natural substance called hyaluronic acid, used in cosmetics and injections for osteoarthritis, is the key molecule that controls this fundamental interaction. When muscles are damaged, it is important that immune cells quickly penetrate the tissue and repair the damage before...
Hyaluranic acid awakens stem cells to start muscle repair
A new study published in the journal Science reveals a unique form of cellular communication that controls muscle repair. In damaged muscle, stem cells must work with immune cells to complete the repair process, but how these cells coordinate to ensure that dead tissue is efficiently removed before new muscle fibers are formed is still unknown. Scientists have now shown that a natural substance called hyaluronic acid, used in cosmetics and injections for osteoarthritis, is the key molecule that controls this fundamental interaction.
When muscles are damaged, it is important that immune cells quickly penetrate the tissue and repair the damage before the stem cells begin repairing. Our study shows that muscle stem cells are primed to begin repairing immediately, but the immune cells keep the stem cells in a dormant state while they do the cleanup work. After about 40 hours, when the cleaning work is complete, an internal alarm sounds in the muscle stem cells, allowing them to wake up and begin repairing.”
Dr. Jeffrey Dilworth, senior scientist at the Ottawa Hospital and professor at the University of Ottawa and lead author of the study
Dr. Dilworth and his team identified hyaluronic acid as a key component of this internal alarm clock that tells muscle stem cells when to wake up. When muscle damage occurs, stem cells begin producing and coating with hyaluronic acid. If the coating is thick enough, it blocks the sleep signal from the immune cells and allows the muscle stem cells to wake up.
Using mouse and human tissue, Drs. Dilworth and his team also investigated how muscle stem cells control the production of hyaluronic acid using epigenetic marks on the Has2 gene.
"Interestingly, aging is associated with chronic inflammation, muscle weakness and a reduced ability of muscle stem cells to wake up and repair damage," said lead author Dr. Kiran Nakka, a research associate of Dr. Dilworth, who conducted this research as part of his postdoctoral studies. “If we could find a way to increase hyaluronic acid production in the muscle stem cells of older people, it could help with muscle repair.”
The authors note that the regenerative effects of hyaluronic acid appear to depend on it being produced by muscle stem cells. The team is currently investigating whether drugs that alter the epigenetics of muscle stem cells could be used to increase their production of hyaluronic acid.
Source:
Reference:
Nakka, K., et al. (2022) JMJD3 activated hyaluronic acid synthesis promotes muscle regeneration in an inflammatory environment. Science. doi.org/10.1126/science.abm9735.
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