Myodegeneration

Dear Colleagues,

Myodegeneration is a controversial and poorly defined designation that rarely appears in textbooks and publications. Mainly introduced in the context of inclusion body myositis (IBM), the term refers to a pathogenesis or pathological alteration in skeletal muscle, similar to that described for neurodegeneration in the central nervous system. Key to the concept of “classical” neurodegeneration is the progressive loss of neurons, which represents a significant difference between these two tissues. Muscle fibers, unlike neurons, are capable of regeneration. Myodegeneration is therefore best understood in the earlier investigations of V. Askanas and W.K. Engel, who compared the pathological findings in IBM with those of Alzheimer disease. In this sense, myodegeneration could be regarded as the accumulation of pathological protein aggregates. This broader interpretation applies to IBM and hereditary inclusion body myopathies. Other myopathies accompanied by (rimmed) vacuoles, such as myofibrillar myopathies and selected distal myopathies (e.g., Welander myopathy), also fulfill this criterion. This Special Issue aims to summarize the cardinal aspects of myodegeneration, including a systematic comparison of the diseases with protein aggregates in skeletal muscle. An additional aim is to analyze and better define the following terms.

• “Myodegeneration”
• Myofiber degeneration
• Inclusion body myositis (IBM)
• Hereditary inclusion body myopathies
• Rimmed vacuoles
• Protein aggregation in skeletal muscle

Dr. Regina R. Reimann
Prof. Dr. Elisabeth Rushing
Guest Editors

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