About this Research Topic
Pediatric skeletal muscle growth is a sustained process that encompasses three main phases of postnatal development: infancy (neonatal), childhood, and puberty. While there are key physiologic differences across these different stages, they are often conflated in skeletal muscle research. In particular, the neonatal period serves an extension of prenatal development. Within its narrow developmental window, prodigious muscle growth occurs in neonates. Defects in muscle growth during this critical early stage of postnatal development can potentially impair long-term muscle health and function, leading to pediatric muscle disorders and assorted secondary pathologies.
Despite its foundational role in skeletal muscle development, there is a paucity in our knowledge of the underlying biology and physiology of neonatal muscle growth. Mammalian studies examining early postnatal muscle development have traditionally utilized juvenile specimens, which prevent insights into earlier growth stages. At the cellular level, the heterogeneity of the muscle stem (satellite) cell compartment further confounds our understanding of myogenic processes in the early postnatal stage. The lack of mechanistic targets has also hindered therapeutic efforts to restore mass and function to young children with muscle wasting. To address these issues, this Research Topic section is an opportunity to share emerging findings that advance our understanding of skeletal muscle growth and disease development during the neonatal period.
The Research Topic will encompass global skeletal muscle health exclusively during the neonatal stage of postnatal development. Specific themes include elucidating the underlying epigenetic, molecular, cellular, and/or metabolic mechanisms of neonatal muscle growth, and establishing greater insights into the pathophysiology of neonatal muscle disorders and dysfunctions. Both original research manuscripts utilizing in vivo and in vitro models, as well as review articles, will be considered.
The Topic Editors declare no conflict of interest.
Despite its foundational role in skeletal muscle development, there is a paucity in our knowledge of the underlying biology and physiology of neonatal muscle growth. Mammalian studies examining early postnatal muscle development have traditionally utilized juvenile specimens, which prevent insights into earlier growth stages. At the cellular level, the heterogeneity of the muscle stem (satellite) cell compartment further confounds our understanding of myogenic processes in the early postnatal stage. The lack of mechanistic targets has also hindered therapeutic efforts to restore mass and function to young children with muscle wasting. To address these issues, this Research Topic section is an opportunity to share emerging findings that advance our understanding of skeletal muscle growth and disease development during the neonatal period.
The Research Topic will encompass global skeletal muscle health exclusively during the neonatal stage of postnatal development. Specific themes include elucidating the underlying epigenetic, molecular, cellular, and/or metabolic mechanisms of neonatal muscle growth, and establishing greater insights into the pathophysiology of neonatal muscle disorders and dysfunctions. Both original research manuscripts utilizing in vivo and in vitro models, as well as review articles, will be considered.
The Topic Editors declare no conflict of interest.
Keywords: Neonatal Muscle Growth, Neonatal Muscle Health, Pediatric Muscle Disorders, neonatal muscle dysfunctions, neonatal muscle physiology, Neonatal muscle pathophysiology, Metabolic mechanisms
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