The mini-IDLE 3D biomimetic culture assay enables interrogation of mechanisms governing muscle stem cell quiescence and niche repopulation.

Adult skeletal muscle harbours a population of muscle stem cells (MuSCs) that are required for repair after tissue injury. In youth, MuSCs return to a reversible state of cell-cycle arrest termed 'quiescence' after injury resolution. Conversely, some MuSCs in aged muscle remain semi-activated, causing a premature response to injuries that results in incomplete repair and eventual stem cell depletion.