Scientists discover new way to enhance stem cells to stimulate muscle regeneration
Ottawa, June 4, 2009 — Scientists at the University of Ottawa and the Hospital Research Institute (OHRI) have discovered a powerful new way to stimulate muscle regeneration, paving the way for new treatments for debilitating conditions such as muscular dystrophy.Senior author Michael Rudnicki, professor in the University’s Faculty of Medecine, and his team’s research, to be published in the June 5 issue of Cell Stem Cell, shows for the first time that a protein called Wnt7a increases the number of stem cells in muscle tissue, leading to accelerated growth and repair of skeletal muscle.
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