How a Missing Protein Messes Up Muscle Healing

Researchers found that a specific protein, Adamts5, plays a big role in muscle healing. When this protein is missing, muscles don't heal as well after an injury. This is because the protein helps control inflammation and scarring, which are important for muscle repair. In an experiment, scientists hurt the leg muscles of mice that lacked the Adamts5 protein and compared them to normal mice. They found that the muscles of the mice without Adamts5 didn't work as well, even before any injury. After the injury, these muscles healed poorly, with more inflammation and scarring. The researchers also looked at a piece of another protein, called versikine, which is created when Adamts5 cuts its target protein. They found less of this piece in the muscles of the mice without Adamts5, showing that the protein wasn't doing its job.Interestingly, the size of the muscles and the size of the muscle fibers were only smaller in the mice without Adamts5 at 14 days after the injury. This suggests that the lack of Adamts5 affects muscle healing over time. The study also found that the muscles of the mice without Adamts5 had more signs of damage, more immune cells, and more scarring proteins after the injury. This shows that Adamts5 helps control these processes, which are important for muscle healing. In short, this protein, Adamts5, is crucial for balancing muscle healing, scarring, and inflammation after an injury. Without it, muscles don't heal as well, and there's more inflammation and scarring.