Vascular and Metabolic Crosstalk in Muscle Stem Cell Function

Skeletal muscle biology represents a dynamic and multifaceted field that integrates insights from vascular physiology, metabolism, and stem cell biology to understand tissue maintenance and repair. Recent studies have revealed that muscle stem cells (MuSCs), also known as satellite cells, rely on complex interactions with their microenvironment, including metabolic cues and vascular-derived signals, to maintain quiescence, activate in response to injury, and ensure efficient regeneration. Although significant progress has been made in defining the intrinsic and extrinsic factors that control MuSC fate, the interplay between vascular signaling and metabolic regulation in these processes remains incompletely understood. The vascular niche not only provides oxygen and nutrients but also secretes paracrine factors that influence MuSC metabolism, self-renewal, and differentiation. However, how these vascular cues integrate with cellular metabolic states to direct regenerative outcomes is still an open question.Recent advances in single-cell transcriptomics, imaging, and metabolic tracing have provided unprecedented insight into the plasticity of MuSC metabolism and its dynamic coupling with vascular tone and perfusion. Studies have shown that angiokines, endothelial cell-derived metabolites, and blood flow-dependent cues may influence muscle regeneration efficiency, while metabolic dysregulation in MuSCs is linked to impaired regenerative capacity in aging and disease. Despite these findings, the molecular underpinnings of vascular–metabolic communication and its implications for muscle health remain insufficiently characterized. Deciphering the bidirectional communication between endothelial and muscle stem cells could provide new therapeutic targets for muscular dystrophies, sarcopenia, and metabolic disorders affecting muscle homeostasis.This Research Topic aims to explore the fundamental and translational aspects of vascular and metabolic crosstalk in muscle stem cell function. It will bring together research uncovering the mechanisms by which vascular factors and metabolic pathways cooperate to regulate stem cell maintenance, activation, and differentiation. By integrating advanced multi-omics approaches, cell signaling analysis, and bioengineering models, this collection seeks to identify novel molecular mediators orchestrating these interactions and determine how they influence regenerative and pathological outcomes in skeletal muscle. This Topic will also assess how systemic metabolic states, such as those occurring in diabetes, obesity, and exercise, reshape the vascular niche to modulate stem cell behavior.To gather further insights into the interconnected regulation of muscle stem cell biology, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:o Vascular niche signaling and endothelial–stem cell communicationo Metabolic control of muscle stem cell activation, differentiation, and quiescenceo Angiogenesis, perfusion, and nutrient exchange during muscle regenerationo Impact of systemic metabolic disorders on the vascular microenvironment and MuSC functiono Crosstalk between hypoxia, reactive oxygen species, and energy metabolism in the muscle nicheo Therapeutic modulation of vascular-metabolic pathways to enhance muscle repairo Multi-omics and imaging approaches to study muscle stem cell–niche interactions Topic editors: Atsushi Asakura, Katsumasa Goto Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/81760/vascular-and-metabolic-crosstalk-in-muscle-stem-cell-function