Stem Cell-Macrophage Interactions Regulate Vertebrate Muscle Regeneration: Insights from Zebrafish

Skeletal muscle displays a remarkable ability to repair in response to injury. This is mainly due to a specific stem cell population. These stem cells are in turn regulated by components present in the surrounding environment. Macrophages are a key immune cell type present in this environment and this thesis assessed their role using a zebrafish model. This work identified specific macrophage-stem cell communications that control the stem cells ability to repair muscle. These identified modes of cell communication provide novel therapeutic targets that hold the potential to enhance muscle repair in diseased and aged conditions.