Muscle satellite Cells (EOM)

Satellite cells are stem cells positioned under the basal lamina of muscle fibers that can give rise to differentiated myogenic cells, or, alternatively, maintain their stemness via a self-renewal mechanism. Satellite cells play a key role in the routine maintenance, hypertrophy, and repair of damaged adult skeletal muscles. After activation, PAX7+ MYOD+ satellite cells actively proliferate, and fuse with existing myofibers following activation of the myogenin differentiating gene. A small proportion of the cells will return to an undifferentiated PAX7+ stage and repopulate the satellite cell niche.