Telomere Protein TRF2 Drives Muscle Regeneration
A University of Pennsylvania study shows TRF2, a protein long known for protecting chromosome ends, also helps muscle stem cells maintain their identity and coordinate the repair cycle. Removing TRF2 in mouse muscle stem cells impairs regeneration, causing fat and scar tissue to accumulate after injury, and accelerates Duchenne muscular dystrophy in a mouse model. TRF2 acts beyond telomeres, targeting regulatory genome regions containing G-quadruplex structures to preserve stem cell identity, with implications for therapies and cancer biology.