James G. Tidball, PhD

The capacity of muscle to repair and grow following periods of wasting or disease is strongly influenced by regulatory interactions between muscle and the immune system. Following an acute bout of wasting or injury, muscle is invaded by a complex assemblage of myeloid cell and lymphoid cells that act on diseased or injured muscle via soluble mediators. Those invading immune cells activate stem cell populations residing in the muscle, which then drive muscle regeneration. The research of Dr. James Tidball and his colleagues seeks to identify the mechanisms through which immune cells regulate muscle regeneration following wasting or disease so that therapeutic strategies that lead to improved muscle regeneration can be devised. They also explore the role of myeloid cells in promoting muscle atrophy and growth in conditions of chronic muscle wasting, including muscular dystrophy and aging.

Tidball JG. Regulation of muscle growth and regeneration by the immune system. Nat Rev Immunol. 2017 Mar;17(3):165-178. doi: 10.1038/nri.2016.150. Epub 2017 Feb 6. Review.

Wehling-Henricks M, Li Z, Lindsey C, Wang Y, Welc SS, Ramos JN, Khanlou N, Kuro-O M, Tidball JG. Klotho gene silencing promotes pathology in the mdx mouse model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Hum Mol Genet. 2016 Jun 15;25(12):2465-2482. Epub 2016 May 6.

Wang Y, Wehling-Henricks M, Samengo G, Tidball JG. Increases of M2a macrophages and fibrosis in aging muscle are influenced by bone marrow aging and negatively regulated by muscle-derived nitric oxide. Aging Cell. 2015 Aug;14(4):678-88. doi: 10.1111/acel.12350. Epub 2015 May 25.

Tidball JG, Dorshkind K, Wehling-Henricks M. Shared signaling systems in myeloid cell-mediated muscle regeneration. Development. 2014 Mar;141(6):1184-96. doi: 10.1242/dev.098285.

Deng B, Wehling-Henricks M, Villalta SA, Wang Y, Tidball JG. IL-10 triggers changes in macrophage phenotype that promote muscle growth and regeneration. J Immunol. 2012 Oct 1;189(7):3669-80. Epub 2012 Aug 29.