Project: Deciphering the signaling pathways regulated by the primary cilium in muscle stem cells

About

The function of skeletal muscle tissue relies on the maintenance and regeneration of myofibers through a finely regulated process. It begins with the activation of normally quiescent muscle stem cells (MuSCs) and continues with the proliferation of MuSCs which differentiate to repair damaged fibers or self-renew and return to quiescence to restore their stock. Loss of function of MuSCs inevitably leads to muscular disorders, such as neuromuscular diseases, equating to poor quality of life, loss of independence and increased morbidity/mortality. Thus, a thorough understanding of the fundamental biological processes regulating MuSCs will ensure the success of stem cell-based regenerative therapies. We propose different experimental approaches aimed at deciphering the signaling pathways regulated by the primary cilium of MuSCs in physiological and dystrophic contexts.