New Advances in Molecular Therapy for Muscle Repair after Diseases and Injuries

Muscle injuries, especially pulls and strains, are among the most common and most frequently disabling injuries sustained by athletes and soldiers. Although injured muscles heal naturally, the regeneration is very slow and often yields incomplete functional recovery. In injured muscle, regeneration begins shortly after injury, but the healing process is rather inefficient and is hindered by fibrosis that is, scar tissue formation. More importantly, the scar tissue that often replaces damaged myofibers may contribute to the tendency of strains to recur. We have observe d that TGF- 1 plays a central role in skeletal muscle fibrosis and, more importantly, that the use of antifibrosis agents that inactivate this molecule, such as suramin a Food and Drug Association FDA-approved drug that prevents fibrosis due to skin disorders, can reduce muscle fibrosis and consequently improve muscle healing, resulting in nearly complete recovery after laceration or strain injuries.