Muscle Cell News Volume 5.18 | May 25 2020

TOP STORY

Prevention of Aortic Dissection and Aneurysm via an ALDH2-mediated Switch in Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Phenotype

Aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) inhibition ablated pathological vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) phenotypical switch through interaction with myocardin, a determinant of VSMC contractile phenotype. [Eur Heart J] Abstract

(Ranked by impact factor of the journal)

CARDIAC MUSCLE CELLS

Single-Cell Analysis of Murine Fibroblasts Identifies Neonatal to Adult Switching That Regulates Cardiomyocyte Maturation

Molecular and functional maturation of neonatal mouse cardiomyocytes and human embryonic stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes were considerably enhanced upon co-culture with corresponding adult cardiac fibroblasts. [Nat Commun] Full Article

FoxO1-Dio2 Signaling Axis Governs Cardiomyocyte Thyroid Hormone Metabolism and Hypertrophic Growth

Researchers showed that Dio2 was a direct transcriptional target of FoxO1, and the FoxO1-Dio2 axis governed thyroid hormone-induced hypertrophic growth of neonatal cardiomyocytes in vitro and in vivo. [Nat Commun] Full Article

Role of Parkin-Mediated Mitophagy in Glucocorticoid-Induced Cardiomyocyte Maturation

Investigators showed that dexamethasone promoted embryonic stem cell-derived cardiomyocyte maturation, inhibited cardiomyocyte proliferation, and promoted myocardial fiber arrangement. [Life Sci] Abstract

SKELETAL MUSCLE CELLS

Tetraploidization of Immortalized Myoblasts Induced by Cell Fusion Drives Myogenic Sarcoma Development with DMD Deletion

Spontaneous hybrids, but not their non-fused immortalized myoblast counterparts they were generated from, induced tumors in mice. [Cancers] Full Article

Regulation of Vitamin D System in Skeletal Muscle and Resident Myogenic Stem Cell During Development, Maturation, and Ageing

In primary cell culture, nuclear vitamin D receptor protein was expressed in undifferentiated skeletal muscle stem cells after 1α,25(OH)₂D₃ treatment. [Sci Rep] Full Article

SMOOTH MUSCLE CELLS

Patient hiPSCs Identify Vascular Smooth Muscle Arylacetamide Deacetylase as Protective against Atherosclerosis

Scientists overexpressed an esterase in human primary vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) and VSMCs differentiated from human induced pluripotent stem cells and observed that the number of lipid droplets was significantly diminished. [Cell Stem Cell] Abstract | Graphical Abstract

The Environment-Sensing Aryl-Hydrocarbon Receptor Inhibits the Chondrogenic Fate of Modulated Smooth Muscle Cells in Atherosclerotic Lesions

Genomic studies coupled with functional assays in cultured human coronary artery smooth muscle cells (HCASMCs) revealed that Aryl hydrocarbon receptor modulated HCASMC phenotype and suppressed ossification in these cells. [Circulation] Abstract

Dedifferentiation of Smooth Muscle Cells in Intracranial Aneurysms and Its Potential Contribution to the Pathogenesis

At the neck portion of intracranial aneurysms, smooth muscle cells accumulated underneath the internal elastic lamina according to disease progression and formed the intimal hyperplasia. [Sci Rep] Full Article

Myostatin Inhibits Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Proliferation and Local 14q32 microRNA Expression, But Not Systemic Inflammation or Restenosis

In vascular smooth muscle cells in vitro, myostatin led to the dose-specific downregulation of 14q32 microRNAs miR-433-3p, miR-494-3p, and miR-495-3p. [Int J Mol Sci] Full Article

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Cardiac Natriuretic Peptides

Development of pharmacological agents that are based on natriuretic peptides is an area of active research, with vast potential benefits for the treatment of cardiovascular disease. [Nat Rev Cardiol] Abstract

The Therapeutic Potential of BRD4 in Cardiovascular Disease

The authors discuss small molecule inhibitors of bromodomain-containing protein 4 (BRD4) as novel therapeutic strategies for cardiovascular diseases. [Hypertens Res] Abstract

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

Capricor Announces Positive Top-Line Final Results from HOPE-2 Study in Patients with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Treated with Lead Candidate CAP-1002

Capricor Therapeutics announced positive top-line 12 month-esults of the HOPE-2 clinical trial using CAP-1002 to treat patients in advanced stages of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. [Capricor Therapeutics] Press Release

Santhera Completes Enrollment of Phase III SIDEROS Study with Puldysa^® (Idebenone) in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD)

Santhera Pharmaceuticals announced full recruitment of its Phase III SIDEROS study with idebenone in Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The sample-size and variability re-assessment performed according to study protocol demonstrated that with the currently enrolled patients the study has a very high power. [Santhera Pharmaceuticals] Press Release

They Redesigned PubMed, a Beloved Website. It Hasn’t Gone Over Well

Unfortunately for PubMed’s caretakers, a sweeping redesign unveiled this week has left many PubMed users fuming-and airing their sometimes curse-laden complaints on social media. [ScienceInsider] Editorial

Are Women Publishing Less during the Pandemic? Here’s What the Data Say

Early analyses suggest that female academics are posting fewer preprints and starting fewer research projects than their male peers. [Nature News] Editorial

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NEW Assistant Specialist (The University of California, Davis)

NEW Postdoctoral Fellow – Aging Muscle (Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation)

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

Postdoctoral Fellow – Musculoskeletal Regenerative Medicine (Novartis)

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

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

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

Associate Professor – Cancer Biology (University of Cincinnati)

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

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