Human myogenic progenitor cells display tenogenic differentiation potential and facilitate tendon regeneration

Abstract

Tendon injury occurs at high frequency and is difficult to repair. Identification of human stem cells being able to regenerate tendon will greatly facilitate the development of regenerative medicine for tendon injury. We identified CD29+/CD56+ human muscle stem/progenitor cells having tendon differentiation potential both in vitro and in vivo. Transplantation of human myogenic progenitor cells contributes to injured tendon repair and thus improves locomotor function. Interestingly, the tendon differentiation potential in mouse muscle stem cells is minimal and the higher TGFβ signaling level in human myogenic progenitor cells may be the key for the distinct feature of human myogenic progenitor cells. These findings reveal that CD29+/CD56+ human muscle stem/progenitor cells are bi-potential adult stem cells and can serve as a new source for tendon regeneration.