Family Life

06.25.09 | FL News Team

A surprising discovery is changing how researchers think about stem cell transplant therapies for muscle injuries and degenerative muscle diseases like muscular dystrophy. In a study published in the journal "Nature," researchers at the Carnegie Institution in Baltimore wanted a better understanding of two genes known to control the cells that create muscle tissue in embryonic and newborn mice. They were shocked to find that the stem cells in adult mice were still able to repair and build new muscle even when those two key genes were suppressed. The team concluded that the genes that were so important in those early stages of development went quiet just weeks after the mouse was born and a new set of genes took over. Researchers say the next step is finding the genes that kick in after birth and tell adult stem cells to build muscle tissue. In the meantime, the team says its important for scientists to find out how other types of stem cells change with age so they can use the appropriate stem cells for transplant-based medical treatments.