Partial dysferlin reconstitution by adult murine mesoangioblasts is sufficient for full functional recovery in a murine model of dysferlinopathy

Cell Death Dis. 2010 Aug 5;1(8):e61. doi: 10.1038/cddis.2010.35.

Abstract

Dysferlin deficiency leads to a peculiar form of muscular dystrophy due to a defect in sarcolemma repair and currently lacks a therapy. We developed a cell therapy protocol with wild-type adult murine mesoangioblasts. These cells differentiate with high efficiency into skeletal muscle in vitro but differ from satellite cells because they do not express Pax7. After intramuscular or intra-arterial administration to SCID/BlAJ mice, a novel model of dysferlinopathy, wild-type mesoangioblasts efficiently colonized dystrophic muscles and partially restored dysferlin expression. Nevertheless, functional assays performed on isolated single fibers from transplanted muscles showed a normal repairing ability of the membrane after laser-induced lesions; this result, which reflects gene correction of an enzymatic rather than a structural deficit, suggests that this myopathy may be easier to treat with cell or gene therapy than other forms of muscular dystrophies.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aging / pathology*
  • Animals
  • Biological Assay
  • Blood Vessels / metabolism*
  • Blood Vessels / pathology*
  • Blood Vessels / transplantation
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Dysferlin
  • Inflammation / pathology
  • Membrane Proteins / metabolism*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, SCID
  • Muscle, Skeletal / pathology
  • Muscular Dystrophies, Limb-Girdle / metabolism
  • Muscular Dystrophies, Limb-Girdle / pathology
  • Muscular Dystrophies, Limb-Girdle / physiopathology*
  • Recovery of Function / physiology*

Substances

  • Dysf protein, mouse
  • Dysferlin
  • Membrane Proteins

Supplementary concepts

  • Dysferlinopathy