Grant: Project Grant

The aging population is characterized by muscle wasting that is known as sarcopenia. This complication decreases their mobility and independence and is associated with risk of acquiring other health problems. Essential to skeletal muscle well-being are the adult muscle stem cell population known as satellite cells (SCs). Like other stem cells, SCs might make more of themselves or turn into muscle. These are badly needed in the geriatric population because their SCs are not working properly to make muscle. Also, the number of SCs that can be isolated and used for transplant are not enough. Hence, an understanding of how SCs decide to make more of themselves will improve skeletal muscle health. Our laboratory expertise is in metabolic control of stem cells. We discovered a way for how metabolism affects cell behaviour through a protein called p107. This together with our new data suggests a critical role for p107 controlling SC numbers. The primary goal of this research project is to define the metabolic role of p107 to increase SC numbers. This will be performed using three specific objectives. This innovative research is necessary as it provides a new avenue for manipulating SC numbers. It might maximize therapeutic potentials for treatment strategies to improve muscle health by increasing SC numbers and/or increase the number of SCs to be used in regenerative medicine applications.