Illuminating regeneration: noninvasive imaging of disease progression in muscular dystrophy
Jennifer R. Levy, Kevin P. Campbell
Jennifer R. Levy, Kevin P. Campbell
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Commentary

Illuminating regeneration: noninvasive imaging of disease progression in muscular dystrophy

Abstract

Muscular dystrophies are characterized by progressive muscle weakness and wasting. Among the key obstacles to the development of therapies is the absence of an assay to monitor disease progression in live animals. In this issue of the JCI, Maguire and colleagues use noninvasive bioluminescence imaging to monitor luciferase activity in mice expressing an inducible luciferase reporter gene in satellite cells. These cells proliferate in response to degeneration, therefore increasing the level of luciferase expression in dystrophic muscle.

Authors

Jennifer R. Levy, Kevin P. Campbell

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Figure 1

A “regeneration reporter” mouse strain.

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A “regeneration reporter” mouse strain. Pax7-positive muscle satellite c...
Pax7-positive muscle satellite cells express luciferase (indicated by green shading) following tamoxifen injection. Upon damage to muscle by either cardiotoxin injury or disease, satellite cells differentiate, and the progeny also express luciferase. Satellite cell progeny proliferate and differentiate into myotubes to repair the muscle, increasing the luciferase signal that can be detected by a bioluminescence imager.