Muscle Building Blog

Stem cells derived from fat have a surprising trick up their sleeves: Encouraged to develop on a stiff surface, they undergo a remarkable transformation toward becoming mature muscle cells. The new cells remain intact and fused together even when transferred to an extremely stiff, bone-like surface, which has bioengineers intrigued. These cells, they suggest, could hint at new therapeutic ...

(PhysOrg.com) -- Stem cells derived from fat have a surprising trick up their sleeves: Encouraged to develop on a stiff surface, they undergo a remarkable transformation toward becoming mature muscle cells. The new research appears in the journal Biomaterials. The new cells remain intact and fused together even when transferred to an extremely stiff, bone-like surface, which has University of ...

By rewinding the clock and coaxing mature muscle back to an earlier stem cell stage, bioengineers from the University of California (UC), Berkeley, in the US have opened the door to the development of new ways to treat muscle degeneration such as that seen in muscular dystrophy or aging. They also accomplished the task by altering cell chemistry without resorting to gene manipulation. They write ...