Muscle Cell News Volume 5.15 | Apr 27 2020

TOP STORY

Blocking the Death Checkpoint Protein TRAIL Improves Cardiac Function after Myocardial Infarction in Monkeys, Pigs, and Rats

Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) induced the death of cardiomyocytes and recruited and activated leukocytes, directly and indirectly causing cardiac injury. [Sci Transl Med] Abstract

(Ranked by impact factor of the journal)

CARDIAC MUSCLE CELLS

Aging-Regulated Anti-Apoptotic Long Non-Coding RNA Sarrah Augments Recovery From Acute Myocardial Infarction

Researchers report the identification of the aging-regulated lncRNA Sarrah that was anti-apoptotic in cardiomyocytes. Importantly, loss of SARRAH in human engineered heart tissue resulted in impaired contractile force development. [Nat Commun] Full Article

Functional Arrays of Human Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Cardiac Microtissues

Scientists report a 96-well-based array of 3D human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiac microtissues – termed Cardiac MicroRings – in custom 3D-print-molded multiwell plates capable of contractile force measurement. [Sci Rep] Full Article

Compound LM9, a Novel MyD88 Inhibitor, Efficiently Mitigates Inflammatory Responses and Fibrosis in Obesity-Induced Cardiomyopathy

In cardiac-derived H9C2 cells, LM9 treatment suppressed palmitic acid (PA)-induced inflammation, lipid accumulation, and fibrotic responses. LM9 treatment also inhibited PA-activated TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway. [Acta Pharmacol Sin] Abstract

Lysine Inhibits Apoptosis in Satellite Cells to Govern Skeletal Muscle Growth via the JAK2-STAT3 Pathway

The authors showed that lysine deficiency-induced apoptosis in satellite cells was mediated by the JAK2-STAT3 pathway inhibition. [Food Funct] Abstract | Graphical Abstract

SKELETAL MUSCLE CELLS

Myogenic Progenitor Cell Lineage Specification by CRISPR/Cas9-Based Transcriptional Activators

The authors demonstrated that endogenous activation of the PAX7 transcription factor resulted in stable epigenetic remodeling and differentiated human pluripotent stem cells into skeletal myogenic progenitor cells. [Stem Cell Reports] Full Article | Graphical Abstract

A 96-Well Culture Platform Enables Longitudinal Analyses of Engineered Human Skeletal Muscle Microtissue Strength

Researchers describe a design and methods to generate a reusable mold to fabricate a 96-well platform, referred to as MyoTACTIC, that enabled bulk production of 3D human skeletal muscle micro-tissues . [Sci Rep] Full Article

SMOOTH MUSCLE CELLS

Transcriptomic Analysis of Pulmonary Artery Smooth Muscle Cells Identifies New Potential Therapeutic Targets for Idiopathic Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

Respiratory restoration by AOX prevented acute hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction and hypoxic responses of pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells, acute hypoxia-induced redox changes of NADH and cytochrome c, and superoxide production. [Sci Adv] Full Article

miR-145 Inhibits the Proliferation and Migration of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells by Regulating Autophagy

ADGRG6/GPR126, an adhesion GPCR, was increased in pulmonary arterial hypertension-pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) compared to control-PASMCs. Increased expression of this receptor in control-PASMCs decreased their proliferation. [Br J Pharmacol] Abstract

MicroRNA-186-5p Serves as a Diagnostic Biomarker in Atherosclerosis and Regulates Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Proliferation and Migration

In vascular smooth muscle cells, overexpression of miR-186-5p significantly promoted cell proliferation and migration, while the opposite results were observed when miR-186-5p was downregulated. [Cell Mol Biol Lett] Full Article

Subscribe to one of our other 19 science newsletters such as Extracellular Matrix News & ESC & iPSC News.

A Roadmap for Fixing the Heart: RNA Regulatory Networks in Cardiac Disease

The authors focus on RNA regulatory networks in heart disease, most of which are devastating conditions with no known cure. They cover emerging micropeptides, which represent short open reading frames in long noncoding RNA transcripts that may modulate cardiac physiology. [Mol Ther Nucleic Acids] Abstract | Graphical Abstract

Visit our reviews page to see a complete list of reviews in the muscle cell research field.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals and Affinia Therapeutics Establish Multi-Year Collaboration to Discover and Develop Novel AAV Capsids for Genetic Therapies

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated and Affinia Therapeutics announced that the two companies have entered into a strategic research collaboration to engineer novel adeno-associated virus (AAV) capsids to deliver transformative genetic therapies to people with serious diseases, such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy, myotonic dystrophy type 1 and cystic fibrosis. [Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated] Press Release

Italfarmaco Provides Update on Advanced-Stage Clinical Development Program with Givinostat in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

The Italfarmaco Group announced that an Independent Data Monitoring Committee has recommended the continuation of the trial based on the interim imaging analysis, which showed a lower muscle fat infiltration with Givinostat compared to the placebo group after 12 months of treatment. [The Italfarmaco Group (BusinessWire, Inc.)] Press Release

Open Science Takes On the Coronavirus Pandemic

When reports emerged in late 2019 of an outbreak of a new coronavirus centred in Wuhan, China, researchers at the virological-analysis website Nextstrain were ready. The open-source project tracks the spread of viruses through genetic variations in the sequences that scientists find. [Nature News] Editorial

Director of US Agency Key to Vaccine Development Leaves Role Suddenly amid Coronavirus Pandemic

Rick Bright, one of the nation’s leading vaccine development experts and the director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, is no longer leading the organization. [STAT News] Editorial

In light of COVID-19, many conferences are being cancelled or postponed. As such:

We are suspending new event postings in our newsletters and on Twitter.
We will strive to keep our current event listings updated with event status.
We encourage you to visit event sites directly for updates.

Visit our events page to see a complete list of events in the community.

NEW Research Associate – In Vitro Pharmacology in Skeletal Muscle (Evotec International GmbH)

Postdoctoral Position – Muscle Denervation and Axonal Degeneration Research (Flanders Institute for Biotechnology)

Postdoctoral Research Fellow – Therapy for Cardiovascular Disease (University of Iowa)

Professor – Molecular Physiology (Karolinska Institutet)

Postdoctoral Research Associate – Molecular Mechanisms in Heart Disease (The University of Arizona College of Medicine)

Postdoctoral Fellow – NAD Metabolism in Heart Disease (Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation)

Associate Professor – Cancer Biology (University of Cincinnati)

Group Leader – Cancer Biology (Institute of Pharmacology and Structural Biology)

Researcher – Smooth Muscle Cell Genes in Cardiovascular Disease (University of Alabama at Birmingham)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Cardiac Tissue Engineering and Regeneration (Duke University)

Postdoctoral Research Associate – Muscle Stem Cell Biology (State University of New York)

Recruit Top Talent: Reach potential candidates by posting your organization’s career opportunities on the Connexon Creative Job Board at no cost.

Have we missed an important article or publication in Muscle Cell News? Click here to submit!

Comments or suggestions? Submit your feedback here.