Altered cell communication impairs muscle recovery in older women after disuse
Single-nucleus sequencing reveals disrupted signaling between satellite cells and fibro-adipogenic progenitors during muscle regrowth in older females.
bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · Skiles CM et al. · Paper published 24 Sep 2026
Researchers evaluated skeletal muscle and primary cells from eight young women and nine older women during recovery from disuse atrophy. Using single-nucleus RNA sequencing at seven days of recovery, the preprint authors observed a much larger transcriptional response in older women than in young women. This difference was driven primarily by fast- and slow-twitch myonuclei, fibro-adipogenic progenitors (FAPs), and satellite cells. Satellite cells from older women showed enriched TGF-β signaling and elevated expression of the collagen marker THBS1, while FAPs exhibited increased expression of ADAMTS14. In vitro, myogenic progenitor cells from older donors displayed impaired differentiation and a cellular senescence phenotype. Furthermore, conditioned media from older fibroblasts increased senescence and suppressed myogenic potential.
Why it matters
The findings show that disrupted cross-talk between stem cells and supporting stromal cells can drive poor muscle remodeling after inactivity. Understanding these dysfunctional cell interactions may uncover targets to preserve muscle mass and function in older populations.
Caveats
This work is a preprint that has not yet been peer-reviewed. The study is limited to female donors, a small sample size of 17 participants, and in vitro cell culture models.
Written from the paper’s abstract, and every claim checked against it before publishing. Read the paper for the full methods and data.
The paper
Disrupted FAP-satellite cell communication contribute to maladaptive muscle remodeling in older women
Skiles CM, Fennel ZJ, Bourrant PE et al.
bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 24 Sep 2026 · Preprint, not yet peer-reviewed
- Relevance
- Core geroscience
- News value
- Notable
- Evidence
- Cells
- Status
- Preprint
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