TRAF6: Key Protein Identified in Muscle Regeneration

Skeletal muscles heal following an injury by activating satellite stem cells to generate new muscle cells. But in some diseases like muscular dystrophy, this process does not work as it should. NIAMS-funded researchers have identified a protein, the TNF receptor associated factor 6 (TRAF6), which may be key to developing new stem cell treatments for muscle wasting diseases. The left image shows extensive formation of new muscle fibers (red) following injury in a mouse muscle containing the TRAF6 protein. The image on the right is injured mouse muscle that does not contain TRAF6. It shows a marked deficit in muscle regeneration and large areas devoid of muscle fibers (white), as well as accumulations of fibrotic tissue (blue).