Immature Skeletal Myotubes Are an Effective Source for Improving the Terminal Differentiation of Skeletal Muscle.

Injured or atrophied adult skeletal muscles are regenerated through terminal differentiation of satellite cells to form multinucleated muscle fibers. Transplantation of satellite cells or cultured myoblasts has been used to improve skeletal muscle regeneration. Some of the limitations observed result from the limited number of available satellite cells that can be harvested and the efficiency of fusion of cultured myoblasts with mature muscle fibers (i.

Designing a Placebo Microneedle Stamp: Modeling and Validation in a Clinical Control Trial.

Recently, several clinical studies have been conducted using microneedles (MNs), and various devices have been developed. This study aimed to propose and confirm the feasibility of a placebo control for activating MN clinical research. A 0.

Tripartite Motif-Containing Protein 32 (TRIM32): What Does It Do for Skeletal Muscle?

Tripartite motif-containing protein 32 (TRIM32) is a member of the tripartite motif family and is highly conserved from flies to humans. Via its E3 ubiquitin ligase activity, TRIM32 mediates and regulates many physiological and pathophysiological processes, such as growth, differentiation, muscle regeneration, immunity, and carcinogenesis. TRIM32 plays multifunctional roles in the maintenance of skeletal muscle.

Tripartite motif-containing protein 32 regulates Ca movement in skeletal muscle.

Mutations in tripartite motif-containing protein 32 (TRIM32), especially in NHL repeats, have been found in skeletal muscle in patients with type 2H limb-girdle muscular dystrophy (LGMD2H). However, the roles of the NHL repeats of TRIM32 in skeletal muscle functions have not been well addressed. In the present study, to examine the functional role(s) of the TRIM32 NHL repeats in skeletal muscle, TRIM32-binding proteins in skeletal muscle were first searched using a binding assay and MALDI-TOF/TOF.

Calsequestrin 1 Is an Active Partner of Stromal Interaction Molecule 2 in Skeletal Muscle.

Calsequestrin 1 (CASQ1) in skeletal muscle buffers and senses Ca in the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR). CASQ1 also regulates store-operated Ca entry (SOCE) by binding to stromal interaction molecule 1 (STIM1). Abnormal SOCE and/or abnormal expression or mutations in CASQ1, STIM1, or STIM2 are associated with human skeletal, cardiac, or smooth muscle diseases.

Pathological Mechanism of a Constitutively Active Form of Stromal Interaction Molecule 1 in Skeletal Muscle.

Stromal interaction molecule 1 (STIM1) is the main protein that, along with Orai1, mediates store-operated Ca entry (SOCE) in skeletal muscle. Abnormal SOCE due to mutations in STIM1 is one of the causes of human skeletal muscle diseases. STIM1-R304Q (a constitutively active form of STIM1) has been found in human patients with skeletal muscle phenotypes such as muscle weakness, myalgia, muscle stiffness, and contracture.

Calsequestrin: a well-known but curious protein in skeletal muscle.

Calsequestrin (CASQ) was discovered in rabbit skeletal muscle tissues in 1971 and has been considered simply a passive Ca-buffering protein in the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) that provides Ca ions for various Ca signals. For the past three decades, physiologists, biochemists, and structural biologists have examined the roles of the skeletal muscle type of CASQ (CASQ1) in skeletal muscle and revealed that CASQ1 has various important functions as (1) a major Ca-buffering protein to maintain the SR with a suitable amount of Ca at each moment, (2) a dynamic Ca sensor in the SR that regulates Ca release from the SR to the cytosol, (3) a structural regulator for the proper formation of terminal cisternae, (4) a reverse-directional regulator of extracellular Ca entries, and (5) a cause of human skeletal muscle diseases. This review is focused on understanding these functions of CASQ1 in the physiological or pathophysiological status of skeletal muscle.

The Current Status of Clinical Research Involving Microneedles: A Systematic Review.

In recent years, a number of clinical trials have been published on the efficacy and safety of drug delivery using microneedles (MNs). This review aims to systematically summarize and analyze the current evidence including the clinical effect and safety of MNs. Three electronic databases, including PubMed, were used to search the literature for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and clinical controlled trials (CCTs) that evaluated the therapeutic efficacy of MNs from their inception to 28 June 2018.

TRPCs: Influential Mediators in Skeletal Muscle.

Ca itself or Ca-dependent signaling pathways play fundamental roles in various cellular processes from cell growth to death. The most representative example can be found in skeletal muscle cells where a well-timed and adequate supply of Ca is required for coordinated Ca-dependent skeletal muscle functions, such as the interactions of contractile proteins during contraction. Intracellular Ca movements between the cytosol and sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) are strictly regulated to maintain the appropriate Ca supply in skeletal muscle cells.