Muscle repair after physiological damage relies on nuclear migration for cellular reconstruction

TLDR

Skeletal muscle sustains damage from contraction and external injury, which is usually repaired by stem cells, but a cell‑autonomous, stem‑cell‑independent repair process also exists. The study uses myofiber self‑repair as a model to understand muscle architecture restoration in health and disease. After localized damage, myonuclei migrate to injury sites and locally deliver messenger RNA for cellular reconstruction. Roman et al.

Abstract

Muscle repair without stem cells Skeletal muscle is a mechanical organ that endures cellular damage after contraction. Lesions caused by external injury can be repaired by muscle stem cells, which fuse with injured cells or create entirely new myofibers. Roman et al . describe a cell-autonomous repair process that is independent of muscle stem cells (see the Perspective by McNally and Demonbreun). After localized damage, myonuclei migrate to injury sites and locally deliver messenger RNA for cellular reconstruction. This myofiber self-repair represents a model for understanding the restoration of muscle architecture in health and disease. —BAP