The role of the protein Bmi1 in the replication of muscle stem cells
Project leader: Dr Lesley Robson
Location: Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry
Duration of project: 4 years (starting October 2008)
Total project cost: £116,200
Official project title: Polycomb gene family member Bmi1 in the specification and maintenance of myogenic satellite cells
Muscle is able to repair itself after injury as a result of its resident stem cells the ‘satellite cells’. In uninjured muscle these cells are in a dormant state, but are awakened by muscle damage. Chemical signals released by the muscle fibre and connective tissue activate satellite cells and “instruct” them to multiply and migrate to where they are needed to regenerate the muscle.
In muscle diseases such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy the ability of the satellite cells to multiply and repair muscle is severely impaired and this results in degenerative changes in the muscles. In other stem cell populations, such as blood and skin, the ability of the cells to multiply and regenerate tissue is regulated by the level of a gene called Bmi1. Bmi1 can also be found in satellite cells and has been shown, in the lab, to affect how well the satellite cells multiply.
Dr Robson plans to investigate, in more detail, the function of Bmi1 in the satellite cell population in Duchenne. They hope to determine if Bmi1 levels are decreased in Duchenne thus impairing the ability of the satellite cells to repair the muscle. They will also study what effect increasing and decreasing the levels of Bmi1 might have on the satellite cells.
Understanding more about what controls satellite cell behaviour is crucial if researchers hope to use them as a potential therapy for Duchenne or other neuromuscular diseases.
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