Human epicardium-derived cells fuse with high efficiency with skeletal myotubes and differentiate toward the skeletal muscle phenotype: a comparison study with stromal and endothelial cells

What is it about?

Cells able to fuse with pre-existing muscle fibers, possibly genetically engineered, may provide a potent means for delivering proteins to diseased skeletal muscle tissues. Epicardium comprises the outermost layer of the heart. Authors investigate the myogenic potential of adult human epicardium-derived cells (EPDCs) and analyze their ability to undergo skeletal myogenesis when cultured with differentiating primary myoblasts. The study provides some new hints on the process leading to the incorporation of nonmuscle cells into skeletal muscle.

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Photo by Paweł Czerwiński on Unsplash

Photo by Paweł Czerwiński on Unsplash