Muscle Cell News Volume 3.34 | Oct 15 2018

TOP STORY

Muscle Satellite Cell Cross-Talk with a Vascular Niche Maintains Quiescence via VEGF and Notch Signaling

Investigators showed that muscle stem cells (satellite cells) (MuSCs) expressed abundant vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA), which recruited endothelial cells in vitro, whereas blocking VEGFA using both a VEGF inhibitor and MuSC-specific VEGFA gene deletion reduced the proximity of MuSCs to capillaries. [Cell Stem Cell] Abstract | Press Release | Graphical Abstract

(Ranked by impact factor of the journal)

CARDIAC MUSCLE CELLS

Single-Cell Transcriptomic Analysis of Cardiac Differentiation from Human PSCs Reveals HOPX-Dependent Cardiomyocyte Maturation

Scientists found that hypertrophic signaling was not effectively activated during monolayer-based cardiac differentiation, thereby preventing expression of HOPX and its activation of downstream genes that govern late stages of cardiomyocyte maturation. [Cell Stem Cell] Abstract | Editorial | Graphical Abstract

A Conserved HH-Gli1-Mycn Network Regulates Heart Regeneration from Newt to Human

The authors revealed that hedgehog (HH) signaling, via a HH-Gli1-Mycn network, contributed to heart regeneration by inducing proliferation of pre-existing cardiomyocytes and not by de novo cardiomyogenesis. Mycn mRNA transfection experiments recapitulated the effects of HH signaling and promoted adult cardiomyocyte proliferation. [Nat Commun] Full Article

Blockade of NKG2D/NKG2D Ligand Interaction Attenuated Cardiac Remodeling after Myocardial Infarction

The co-culture with γδT cells increased the frequency of apoptotic cells in the cultured cardiomyocytes. The blockade of natural killer group 2 member D (NKG2D)/NKG2D ligand interaction by intraperitoneal injection of anti-retinoic acid early induced transcript-1ε antibody after myocardial infarction reduced the frequency of apoptotic cardiomyocytes, accompanied by suppression of cardiac fibrosis, attenuating cardiac dysfunction. [Cardiovasc Res] Abstract

SKELETAL MUSCLE CELLS

Regulation of Muscle Atrophy-Related Genes by the Opposing Transcriptional Activities of ZEB1/CtBP and FOXO3

Scientists showed that the transcription factor ZEB1, best known for promoting tumor progression, inhibited muscle atrophy and atrogene expression by antagonizing FOXO3-mediated induction of atrogenes. [Nucleic Acids Res] Full Article

Cellular Localization of the Cell Cycle Inhibitor Cdkn1c Controls Growth Arrest of Adult Skeletal Muscle Stem Cells

Isolated Cdkn1c-deficient primary myoblasts displayed differentiation defects and increased proliferation. Researchers showed that the subcellular localization of CDKN1c was dynamic; while CDKN1c was initially localized to the cytoplasm of activated/proliferating myoblasts, progressive nuclear translocation led to growth arrest during differentiation. [Elife] Full Article

The Sympathetic Nervous System Regulates Skeletal Muscle Motor Innervation and Acetylcholine Receptor Stability

The authors found that the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) regulated motor nerve synaptic vesicle release, skeletal muscle transcriptome, muscle force generated by motor nerve activity, axonal neurofilament phosphorylation, myelin thickness, and myofiber subtype composition and CSA. [Acta Physiol (Oxf)] Abstract

Incorporation of Macrophages into Engineered Skeletal Muscle Enables Enhanced Muscle Regeneration

Researchers showed that rat bone-marrow-derived macrophages or human blood-derived macrophages resident within in vitro engineered tissues stimulated muscle satellite cell-mediated myogenesis while significantly limiting myofibre apoptosis and degeneration. [Nat Biomed Eng] Abstract | Press Release

SMOOTH MUSCLE CELLS

LMO7 Is a Negative Feedback Regulator of TGF-β Signaling and Fibrosis

The authors demonstrated that LMO7 was induced post-injury and by transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) in smooth muscle cells (SMCs) in vitro. Global or SMC-specific LMO7 deletion enhanced neointimal formation, TGF-β signaling, extracellular matrix deposition and proliferation in vascular injury models. [Circulation] Abstract

Coronary Artery Disease Genes SMAD3 and TCF21 Promote Opposing Interactive Genetic Programs That Regulate Smooth Muscle Cell Differentiation and Disease Risk

In vitro studies in human coronary artery smooth muscle cells (HCASMC) revealed that SMAD3 modulated cellular phenotype, promoting expression of differentiation marker genes while inhibiting proliferation. HCASMC phenotype, and gene expression patterns promoted by SMAD3 were noted to have opposing direction of effect compared to another coronary artery disease associated transcription factor, TCF21. [PLoS Genet] Full Article

Long Noncoding RNA Hoxaas3 Contributes to Hypoxia-Induced Pulmonary Artery Smooth Muscle Cell Proliferation

Histone H3 Lysine 9 acetylation of Hoxa cluster antisense RNA 3 (Hoxaas3) promoted gene expression. High expression of Hoxaas3 was associated with cell proliferation and modulated cell cycle distribution by upregulating Homeobox a3 at the mRNA and protein levels. [Cardiovasc Res] Abstract

circDiaph3 Regulates Rat Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Differentiation, Proliferation, and Migration

Researchers found that knockdown of rno-circ_005717 (circDiaph3) up-regulated the level of diaphanous-related formin-3 and promoted the differentiation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) to contractile type. In addition, circDiaph3 up-regulated the transcription of Igf1r and supported the proliferation and migration of VSMCs. [FASEB J] Abstract

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The Current State of Human In Vitro Cardiac Disease Modeling: A Focus on Gene Editing and Tissue Engineering

In addition to highlighting recent developments in the field of human in vitro cardiomyopathy modeling, the authors also emphasize limitations that remain to be addressed; including residual somatic epigenetic signatures of induced pluripotent stem cells, and modeling diseases with unknown genetic causes. [Stem Cells Transl Med] Full Article

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Genentech Announces New Data for Risdiplam in Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA)

Genentech announced interim clinical data from the dose-finding parts of the pivotal FIREFISH and SUNFISH studies investigating risdiplamin SMA. [Press release from Genentech, Inc. discussing research presented at the 23^rd International Annual Congress of the World Muscle Society, Mendoza] Press Release

New Spinraza^® (Nusinersen) Data Presented

Biogen Inc. announced new interim results from NURTURE, an ongoing open-label, single-arm efficacy and safety study of SPINRAZA^® in 25 presymptomatic infants with SMA. [Press release from Biogen Inc. discussing research presented at the 23^rd International Annual Congress of the World Muscle Society, Mendoza] Press Release

Risdiplam Demonstrates Preliminary Evidence of Clinical Benefit in Type 1, 2, & 3 Spinal Muscular Atrophy Patients

PTC Therapeutics, Inc. announced interim clinical data from the Part 1, open-label studies of FIREFISH and SUNFISH demonstrating the benefit of risdiplam for the treatment of Type 1, 2 and 3 spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). [Press release from PTC Therapeutics. discussing research presented at the 23^rd International Annual Congress of the World Muscle Society, Mendoza] Press Release

OCREVUS (Ocrelizumab) Data Show Early Initiation of Treatment Reduces Disability Progression over Five Years in Relapsing and Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis

Genentech announced that new OCREVUS^® data was presented. [Press release from Genentech, Inc. discussing research presented at the 34^th Congress of the European Committee for the Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS), Berlin] Press Release

UMass Amherst Researchers Plan to Develop Alternative Energy Source for Muscle

Muscle biophysicist Ned Debold in the kinesiology department at the University of Massachusetts (UMass) Amherst’s School of Public Health and Health Sciences, with Dhandapani Venkataraman and Jianhan Chen of the chemistry department, are collaborating on a project to develop a compound to serve as an alternative energy source for skeletal and cardiac muscle during times of stress. [University of Massachusetts Amherst] Press Release

Mesoblast and Tasly Pharmaceutical Group Complete Transaction for Strategic Cardiovascular Partnership in China

Mesoblast Limited announced completion of the transaction with Tasly Pharmaceutical Group to establish a strategic partnership in China for Mesoblast’s allogeneic mesenchymal precursor cell (MPC) product candidates MPC-150-IM for heart failure and MPC-25-IC for heart attacks. [Mesoblast Limited (GlobeNewswire, Inc.)] Press Release

Health Canada Approves RADICAVA^™ (Edaravone) for the Treatment of ALS

Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Canada, Inc. announced that Edaravone was approved by Health Canada for an indication of ALS, a rapidly progressive, neurodegenerative disease. [Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation.] Press Release

Cytokinetics and Astellas Provide Updates Regarding Collaborative Skeletal Muscle Program

Cytokinetics, Incorporated and Astellas Pharma Inc. provided an update for their collaborative skeletal muscle program, including clinical trial updates for reldesemtiv in neuromuscular and non-neuromuscular conditions. [Cytokinetics, Inc.] Press Release

Insera Therapeutics Awarded Competitive Grant From the National Science Foundation

Insera Therapeutics, Inc., has been awarded a National Science Foundation Small Business Innovation Research grant for $221,700 to conduct research and development work on its flagship solution for ischemic stroke, which includes the CLEAR^® Aspiration System and the thrombectomy-assist device SHELTER^® Retriever. [Insera Therapeutics, Inc. (Business Wire, Inc.)] Press Release

Heart Drug Trials Halted over Brexit Fears

Medical research firm Recardio was due to try the drug dutogliptin on patients in Clydebank, Leeds and Exeter. It has suspended all UK activities due to uncertainty about how new medicines will be approved after Brexit. [The BBC] Editorial

Ghost Authorship Haunts Industry-Funded Clinical Trials

An analysis of industry-funded clinical trials has found that drug companies are often heavily involved in research — but are not always transparent about it. [Nature News] Editorial

Harvard and the Brigham Call for More than 30 Retractions of Cardiac Stem Cell Research

Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital have recommended that 31 papers from a former lab director be retracted from medical journals. The papers from the lab of Dr. Piero Anversa, who studied cardiac stem cells, “included falsified and/or fabricated data,” according to a statement to Retraction Watch and STAT from the two institutions. [STAT News] Editorial

NEW Gordon Research Seminar: Vascular Cell Fate, Metabolism and Targeting
January 20-25, 2019
Ventura, California, United States

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NEW Postdoctoral Associate Specialist – Muscle Aging Biology (Nestle Research – EPFL Campus)

Faculty Position – Cardiovascular Diseases (Mayo Clinic)

Faculty Position – Department of Translational & Vascular Biology (University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Vascular Smooth Muscle & Endothelial Cell Ion Channel Research (The University of Tennessee Health Science Center)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Cardiac Regeneration & Heart Failure (Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai)

Postdoctoral Research Fellow – Molecular & Genomic Regulation of Cell Specification (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center)

Tenure-Track Faculty Positions – Therapeutic Cells Research & Cardiovascular Research (Georgia Institute of Technology & Emory University School of Medicine)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Cardiovascular Biology (Weill Cornell Medicine)

Postdoctoral Position – Vascular Smooth Muscle Research (University of Tennessee Health Science Center)

Postdoctoral Fellows – Cardiac & Skeletal Muscle Research (Duke University)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Cardiovascular Tissue Engineering (Stanford University)

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