Muscle Progenitor Cells Enhance Innervation
- Summary
- A Purdue University researcher has developed a toolkit and a method for repairing and reconstructing a damaged or nonfunctional muscle using in vitro primed muscle progenitor cells to promote innervation of the damaged or nonfunctional muscle without any genetic manipulation. Muscle progenitor cells are harvested and grown to a critical mass in culture. The cells are then injected into the damaged or nonfunctional muscle and fuse with native muscle fiber. Following the injection, the muscle is innervated, atrophy has been shown to reverse, and the muscle fibers have an increased force of contraction.
- Technology Benefits
- Does not use genetically modified cells Allows the body to naturally regrow nerve connections Clinically translatable
- Technology Application
- Innervation Muscle repair Tissue engineering
- Detailed Technology Description
- Stacey HalumThe Voice Clinic of IndianaPurdue Speech, Language, & Hearing Sciences
- Countries
- United States
- Application No.
- None
- *Abstract
-
- *Background
- Denervation, the loss of nerve supply in muscle fibers, occurs from a variety of causes ranging from serious physical injury to chronic disorders. This disruption in nerve fibers may cause flaccid paralysis, eventually leading to severe muscle atrophy. Following a major injury that results in denervation, the physical muscle tissue may heal, but without an adequate, functioning nervous system connection, no effective physical movement can be made. Research in this area has shown that if the damage is contained to certain nerves, the brain might rewire neurological circuitry and resume somewhat normal function. Unfortunately, in cases of muscle denervation, effective physical muscle movement cannot naturally be reversed.
- *IP Issue Date
- None
- *IP Type
- Provisional
- *Stage of Development
- Bench testing performed
- *Web Links
- Purdue Office of Technology CommercializationPurdueInnovation and EntrepreneurshipStacey HalumThe Voice Clinic of IndianaPurdue Speech, Language, & Hearing Sciences
- Country/Region
- USA
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