Muscle Stem Cells Can Drive Cancer That Arises in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
Sanford Burnham PrebysScientists from Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute (SBP) have demonstrated that muscle stem cells may give rise to rhabdomyosarcoma that occurs during DMD—and identified two genes linked to the tumor’s growth. The research, performed using a mouse model of severe DMD, helps scientists better understand how rhabdomyosarcoma develops in DMD—and indicates that ongoing efforts to develop treatments that stimulate muscle stem cells should consider potential cancer risk. The study was published today in Cell Reports.