The Therapeutic Potential of Muscle-Derived Stem Cells for the Treatment of Severe Sports-Related Muscle Injuries

Abstract

Although muscle injuries are among the most common injuries sustained during sports activity, the current options for their treatment are insufficient in promoting the full structural and functional recovery of the muscle. To this end, the possible use of stem cell-mediated therapy to enhance the overall healing process of damaged muscle has gained increasing attention in sports medicine research. A recently discovered population of adult stem cells known as muscle-derived stem cells (MDSCs) are of particular interest for applications in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering. These novel stem cells, which are predecessors to satellite cells, are derived from the skeletal muscle and demonstrate a remarkable ability to undergo multilineage differentiation, long-term proliferation, and self-renewal. In this review, pre-clinical and early phase clinical trials that tested the regenerative capacity of MDSCs in several musculoskeletal conditions are assessed in order to provide an evaluation of the therapeutic potential of MDSCs for the treatment of severe sports-related muscle injuries. Evidence of the contribution of MDSCs to the muscle healing process is provided, particularly in their ability to promote myofiber regeneration, revascularisation, and reinnervation whilst simultaneously reducing fibrosis within the injured muscle. The overall findings of this review should encourage further research into the use of MDSCs for the development of new biologic treatments to enhance regeneration and repair following severe muscle injuries in sport.