This book outlines the various functions that growth factors and cytokines assume in skeletal muscle. The extracellular context significantly influences the biology of skeletal muscle. The soluble aspect of this context encompasses an abundant environment of growth factors and cytokines that have proven to regulate nearly every aspect of skeletal muscle’s reaction to external influences, whether it is metabolic alterations induced by exercise, adaptations in response to injury, or ongoing complications related to neuromuscular disorders.
The chapters featured in this publication showcase growth factors that have a direct impact on skeletal muscle cells, as well as those that affect non-muscle cells contributing to the overall biology of skeletal muscle tissue. The modern advances in systems biology enable the mapping of signaling networks modulated by a collection of growth factors. This represents a significant departure from earlier, more conventional investigations, which primarily focused on the effects of singular growth factors on the behavior of skeletal muscle precursor cells in tissue cultures.
The material presented in this edition spans from a thorough examination of the roles of individual growth factors to the intricate interactions of multiple soluble elements in regulating both muscle functional and dysfunctional states. The content covered in this volume will be especially beneficial for readers across diverse research areas, including general muscle biology and physiology, as well as those studying diseases and conditions that impact skeletal muscle both directly and indirectly.
