Muscle Cell News Volume 5.20 | Jun 8 2020

TOP STORY

HRP2-DPF3a-BAF Complex Coordinates Histone Modification and Chromatin Remodeling to Regulate Myogenic Gene Transcription

Researchers discovered an HRP2-DPF3a-BAF epigenetic pathway that coordinated methylated histone H3 lysine 36 and ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling to regulate chromatin dynamics and gene transcription during myogenic differentiation. [Nucleic Acids Res] Full Article

(Ranked by impact factor of the journal)

CARDIAC MUSCLE CELLS

Dek Modulates Global Intron Retention during Muscle Stem Cells Quiescence Exit

Intron-retained transcripts found in quiescent satellite cells were essential for fundamental functions including RNA splicing, protein translation, cell-cycle entry, and lineage specification. [Dev Cell] Full Article | Graphical Abstract

Drug Response Analysis for Scaffold-Free Cardiac Constructs Fabricated Using Bio-3D Printer

Scientists developed a method to measure the contractile force and to evaluate the drug response in cardiac constructs. [Sci Rep] Full Article

SKELETAL MUSCLE CELLS

Specific Isoforms of the Guanine-Nucleotide Exchange Factor dPix Couple Neuromuscular Synapse Growth to Muscle Growth

The authors showed that changes in muscle growth driven by autonomous modulation of insulin receptor signaling produced corresponding changes in synapse size, with each muscle affecting only its presynaptic motor neuron branches. [Dev Cell] Full Article | Graphical Abstract

miR-379 Links Glucocorticoid Treatment with Mitochondrial Response in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

Scientists confirmed in myoblasts that EIF4G2 was a direct target of miR-379, and identified the DAPIT mitochondrial protein as a translational target of EIF4G2. [Sci Rep] Full Article

SMOOTH MUSCLE CELLS

LncRNA ANRIL Acts as a Modular Scaffold of WDR5 and HDAC3 Complexes and Promotes Alteration of the Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Phenotype

Investigators explored the role of long-noncoding RNA ANRIL in ox-LDL-induced phenotypic transition of human aortic smooth muscle cells. [Cell Death Dis] Full Article

Pharmacologic Inhibition of Transient Receptor Channel Vanilloid 4 Attenuates Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Formation

In vitro studies demonstrated that the inhibition of TRPV4 channels mitigated aortic smooth muscle cell-dependent inflammatory cytokine production as well as decreased neutrophil transmigration through aortic endothelial cells. [FASEB J] Full Article

Human Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cells Attenuate Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Progression in Sprague Dawley Rats: Implication of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Phenotypic Modulation

Scientists demonstrated that the intravenous injection of umbilical cord-MSC attenuated elastase induced aneurysmal expansion, reduced elastin degradation and fragmentation, inhibited MMPs and TNF-α expression, preserved and/or restored vascular smooth muscle cell contractile phenotype in abdominal aortic aneurysm. [Stem Cells Dev] Abstract

LncRNA AK131850 Is Downregulated in Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm and Negatively affects the Levels of TGF-β1 in Aortic Smooth Muscle Cells

In human aortic smooth muscle cells, AK131850 overexpression led to downregulated, while AK131850 siRNA silencing led to upregulated TGF-β1. [Arch Physiol Biochem] Abstract

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Important Lessons Learned From Studies on the Pharmacology of Glucocorticoids in Human Airway Smooth Muscle Cells: Too Much of a Good Thing May Be a Problem

The authors review the beneficial effects of glucocorticoids on airway smooth muscle cells, emphasizing the differential nature of glucocorticoids effects on pro-inflammatory genes and on other features associated with asthma pathogenesis. [Pharmacol Ther] Abstract

Optimization of Antisense-Mediated Exon Skipping for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

The authors discuss exon skipping and the current advances being made in the field, on drugs, multi-exon skipping, sequence design, and applicability. [Gene Ther] Abstract

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

Duchenne UK and Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy Announce 2020 Joint Research Grant Call

Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy and Duchenne UK announced the launch of their joint 2020 Research Grant Call, inviting research proposals for submission and review. Up to $1 million will be awarded to a project or projects seeking to minimize the immunological issues of gene therapy to treat Duchenne. [Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy] Press Release

Santhera Announces Completion of ReveraGen’s Long-Term Extension Study with Vamorolone in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

Santhera Pharmaceuticals announced that partner ReveraGen Biopharma Inc. has completed a long-term, open-label extension study of 24 months duration with vamorolone in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. [Santhera Pharmaceuticals] Press Release

Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation and UC-San Diego Receive FDA Approval of Investigational New Drug Application to Continue Research of Novel Hydrogel for Cardiac Tissue Repair

The Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation® announced that it is conducting additional research on a novel hydrogel that is designed to repair cardiac tissue. In April 2020, the FDA approved an investigational new drug application to investigate the safety and feasibility of delivering VentriGel via catheter into areas of the heart of patients that cannot be completely revascularized at the time of coronary artery bypass grafting. [The Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation] Press Release

As Pandemic Pounds US Universities, Federal Support Helps Their Labs Stay Afloat

This spring, as the coronavirus pandemic shuttered US higher education, many college presidents began to warn of the dire financial impact of a frozen US economy on their institutions. Their mix of revenue sources largely determined how much they might be hurt. [ScienceInsider] Editorial

As the Pandemic Hits Campus Finances, Faculty Face Layoffs

The pandemic has bored holes in budgets at universities and colleges across the US and beyond. To stem the spread of the coronavirus, higher education institutions shuttered their campuses, sent students home, and moved classes online. [The Scientist] Editorial

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NEW Assistant Specialist – Cardiovascular Medicine (University of California)

Postdoctoral Position – Muscle Function (Spanish National Center for Cardiovascular Research)

Postdoctoral Position – Tissue Engineering (Stanford University School of Medicine)

Assistant Specialist (The University of California, Davis)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Aging Muscle (Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation)

Postdoctoral Position – Cell Biology of Cardiovascular Diseases (University Medical Center Göttingen)

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

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

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

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