New research uncovers potential muscle disease therapeutic target

Scientists have developed a new understanding of a key muscular system protein that could underpin the development of innovative muscle disease therapies in future.

The Carnegie Institution team has been able to narrow down the specific type of cell affected by the protein myostatin, which plays a key role in the regulation of muscle growth.

It is known that inhibiting myostatin can theoretically promote muscle growth in these areas, but until now it has not been confirmed whether the protein targets fibrous muscle cells called myofibers or stem cells known as satellite cells.

The team has now established that muscle growth caused by inhibiting myostatin does not significantly involve the incorporation of satellite cells into myofibers, a discovery that will help to support the possible use of myostatin as a clinical target.

Research team co-leader Fan Lee said: "Our findings initially indicate that many different diseases … could potentially be responsive to drugs that inhibit myostatin and thus promote muscle growth, without regard to the status of the muscle stem cell pool."

This could have positive implications for future sufferers of muscular dystrophy, with more than 70,000 people in the UK estimated as being affected by conditions of this kind.