Molecular Perspective on Skeletal Muscle Regeneration
A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Biology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2026 | Viewed by 4
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Skeletal muscle possesses a remarkable regenerative capacity that depends on the coordinated activity of stem cells and their niche. Satellite cells remain the primary drivers of regeneration, activating and proliferating in response to injury before differentiating into new myofibers. Their function is tightly regulated by molecular signals within the niche, including Notch, Wnt, FGF, and other pathways that govern quiescence, activation, and self-renewal.
Emerging evidence highlights the critical contributions of other niche-resident cell types, including fibro/adipogenic progenitors (FAPs), immune cells, and vascular components. These cells engage in dynamic, reciprocal communication with satellite cells through diverse molecular signals—such as TGF-β, interleukins (ILs), PDGFRα, and WISP1—as well as through intercellular organelle exchange. Together, these interactions orchestrate tissue repair and remodeling during muscle regeneration.
Aging and chronic disease disrupt these finely tuned signaling networks, shifting the muscle niche toward a pro-fibrotic and adipogenic state. This maladaptive environment diminishes satellite cell function, impairs regenerative signaling, and drives pathological outcomes such as fibrosis and fatty infiltration, ultimately leading to compromised muscle repair and functional decline.
This Special Issue brings together cutting-edge research on stem cell biology, cell–cell communication, and niche regulation, with an emphasis on novel molecular approaches, such as scRNA sequencing, spatial transcriptomes, and small-molecule approaches, as well as translational strategies to restore muscle function in aging, injury, and disease contexts.
Prof. Dr. Xuhui Liu
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- skeletal muscle regeneration
- satellite cells
- stem cell niche
- fibro/adipogenic progenitors
- aging
- muscle stem cells
- cell–cell interactions
- fibrosis and fatty infiltration
- translational therapeutics
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