Grant: Project Grant

An estimated 4 million Canadians currently suffer from muscle wasting conditions, manifesting as loss of muscle mass and function. Muscle wasting is the most significant cause of disability in the aging population and individuals with muscle degenerative diseases, including muscular dystrophies, myopathies and cancer cachexia. The decline in muscle function affects mobility, voluntary function and quality of life, often leading to institutionalization and mortality. This imposes a dramatic burden on individuals and society, costing Canadians several billions of dollars per year. Thus, there is a pressing need for the development of preventative and therapeutic strategies targeting muscle wasting. For many years, muscle wasting was thought to be only a problem of the myofibers, yet recent evidence shows that muscle stem cell (MuSC) dysfunction plays a significant role. Adult skeletal muscle normally has a high regenerative capacity, however, within the context of muscle wasting MuSCs are depleted and muscle regeneration is impaired. Currently, the reason for MuSC depletion is unclear and thus there are no therapies targeting their restoration. Understanding the underlying etiological factors leading to MuSC depletion is instrumental in identifying novel approaches to restore muscle repair and function. The overarching goal of this proposal is to restore MuSC number and function and promote muscle repair in aging and muscle wasting diseases.