Leukemia inhibitory factor enhances regeneration in skeletal muscles aftermyoblast transplantation

Cell-based therapies, such as myoblast transfer therapy, are likely to beco me an integral part of any approach to treat myopathies such as Duchenne mu scular dystrophy. Previous studies have shown that an increased level of re generation in the host muscle enhances incorporation of donor myoblasts. Le ukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) increases the number of dystrophic fibers ex pressing dystrophin after myoblast transplantation and enhances regeneratio n in injured and diseased muscle. Morphometric analysis was used to investi gate whether an increased level of regeneration is induced by LIF after myo blast transplantation. We found that, in muscles treated with LIF, the numb er of fibers undergoing regeneration was increased. The increased incorpora tion of donor myoblasts and thus dystrophin expression induced by LIF may b e due, at least in part, to an increased level of regeneration of dystrophi c muscle. (C) 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.