Muscle Cell News Volume 1.04 | Apr 4 2016

Matricellular Protein CCN5 Reverses Established Cardiac Fibrosis
Scientists examined the role of CCN5 in human heart failure and tested whether CCN5 can reverse established cardiac fibrosis in an experimental model of heart failure induced by pressure overload. [J Am Coll Cardiol] Full Article | Press Release | Podcast

Wnt/β-Catenin Stimulation and Laminins Support Cardiovascular Cell Progenitor Expansion from Human Fetal Cardiac Mesenchymal Stromal Cells
Scientists demonstrated that they can expand cells with characteristics of cardiovascular progenitor cells from the mesenchymal stromal cell population of human fetal hearts. [Stem Cell Reports]
Full Article | Graphical Abstract

SKELETAL MUSCLE CELLS

A Developmentally Regulated Switch from Stem Cells to Dedifferentiation for Limb Muscle Regeneration in Newts
Researchers demonstrated that larval newts use stem/progenitor cells such as satellite cells for new muscle in a regenerated limb, whereas metamorphosed newts recruit muscle fiber cells in the stump for the same purpose. [Nat Commun] Full Article | Press Release

Myofibroblasts Are Distinguished from Activated Skin Fibroblasts by the Expression of AOC3 and Other Associated Markers
Scientists identified AOC3 (amine oxidase, copper containing 3), a surface monoamine oxidase, as a new marker of myofibroblasts by showing that it is the target protein of the myofibroblast-reacting mAb PR2D3. The normal and tumor tissue distribution and the cell line reactivity of AOC3 match that expected for myofibroblasts. [Proc Natl Acad Sci USA] Abstract

Muscle Tissue Engineering Using Gingival Mesenchymal Stem Cells Encapsulated in Alginate Hydrogels Containing Multiple Growth Factors
The authors developed an injectable 3D RGD-coupled alginate scaffold with multiple growth factor delivery capacity for encapsulating gingival mesenchymal stem cells (GMSCs), evaluated the capacity of encapsulated GMSCs to differentiate into myogenic tissue in vitro and in vivo where encapsulated GMSCs were transplanted subcutaneously into immunocompromised mice. [Ann Biomed Eng] Abstract

Understanding the Role of ECM Protein Composition and Geometric Micropatterning for Engineering Human Skeletal Muscle
Scientists investigated microenvironmental cues that drive myoblast differentiation into aligned myotubes for potential applications in skeletal muscle repair, organ-on-chip disease models and actuators for soft robotics. They used a 2D in vitro system to systematically evaluate the role of extracellular matrix (ECM) protein composition and geometric patterning for controlling the formation of highly aligned myotubes. [Ann Biomed Eng] Abstract

SMOOTH MUSCLE CELLS

Estradiol-17β Increases 12- and 15-Lipoxygenase (Type 2) Expression and Activity and Reactive Oxygen Species in Human Umbilical Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells
Investigators tested the effects of estradiol-17β as well as estrogen-receptor subtype specific and non-specific agonists and antagonists on the expression and eicosanoid production of lipoxygenase enzymes expressed in culture human umbilical vascular smooth muscle cells. [J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol] Abstract

Antagonists to Endothelin Receptor Type B Promote Apoptosis in Human Pulmonary Arterial Smooth Muscle Cells
Cultured human pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) were treated with the endothelin A (ETA) receptor antagonist BQ-123, or the ETB antagonist A-192621 or BQ-788 for 48 hours. The viability of PASMCs was significantly decreased by A-192621 and BQ-788, in a dose-dependent manner. [Life Sci] Abstract

miR-140-5p Regulates Hypoxia-Mediated Human Pulmonary Artery Smooth Muscle Cell Proliferation, Apoptosis and Differentiation by Targeting Dnmt1 and Promoting SOD2 Expression
miR-140-5p is down-regulated in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and experimental models of PAH, and inhibits hypoxia-mediated pulmonary artery smooth muscle cell proliferation in vitro. [Biochem Biophys Res Commun] Abstract

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

Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai to Present New Findings
Researchers will present their late-breaking clinical trial findings and other important research results advancing the field of cardiovascular medicine. [Press release from Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (EurekAlert!) discussing research presented at the 65^th Annual Scientific Session & Expo of the American College of Cardiology (ACC.16), Chicago] Press Release

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Professor Michael Sefton Receives European Society for Biomaterials International Award
University of Toronto biomedical engineering Professor Michael Sefton has been named the 2016 recipient of the International Award from the European Society for Biomaterials. He was one of the first to combine living cells with polymers, effectively launching what is now called tissue engineering. [University of Toronto] Press Release

Food and Drug Administration (United States)

Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (United States)

European Medicines Agency (European Union)

Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (United Kingdom)

Therapeutic Goods Administration (Australia)

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

Postdoctoral Researcher – Stem Cell Biology Regenerative Medicine (NUI Galway)

Research Technician – Myogenesis, Neurogenesis and Related Diseases (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center)

Research Assistant – Skeletal Muscle Cell Biology (Nestlé)

Postdoctoral Positions – Tissue Repair/Inflammation (Institut Pasteur)

Postdoctoral Researcher – Cell Biology and Regenerative Therapies in Cardiovascular Diseases (Universitätsmedizin Goettingen)

Postdoctoral Positions – Human Stem Cells and Heart Regenerative Medicine (University of Pittsburgh)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disease (AstraZeneca)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Ion Channel Signaling and Metabolism (University of Iowa)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Neurology Research in Cerebral Small Vessel Diseases (The Chinese University of Hong Kong)

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