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Bone marrow stromal cells generate muscle cells and repair muscle degeneration.

Dezawa M, Ishikawa H, Itokazu Y, Yoshihara T, Hoshino M, Takeda S, Ide C, Nabeshima Y

Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Yoshidakonoecho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8501 Japan. dezawa@anat2.med.kyoto-u.ac.jp

Bone marrow stromal cells (MSCs) have great potential as therapeutic agents. We report a method for inducing skeletal muscle lineage cells from human and rat general adherent MSCs with an efficiency of 89%. Induced cells differentiated into muscle fibers upon transplantation into degenerated muscles of rats and mdx-nude mice. The induced population contained Pax7-positive cells that contributed to subsequent regeneration of muscle upon repetitive damage without additional transplantation of cells. These MSCs represent a more ready supply of myogenic cells than do the rare myogenic stem cells normally found in muscle and bone marrow.

Published 8 July 2005 in Science, 309(5732): 314-7.
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