Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39994804›Full record

ArticleSkeletal muscle2025

ActRII or BMPR ligands inhibit skeletal myoblast differentiation, and BMPs promote heterotopic ossification in skeletal muscles in mice.

Marc A Egerman, Yuhong Zhang, Romain Donne, Jianing Xu, Abhilash Gadi, Corissa McEwen, Hunter Salmon, Kun Xiong, Yu Bai, Mary Germino and 5 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Skeletal muscle, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

15 authors.

Marc A EgermanAging/Age-Related Disorders, 777 Old Saw Mill River Road, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Tarrytown, NY, USA.
Yuhong ZhangAging/Age-Related Disorders, 777 Old Saw Mill River Road, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Tarrytown, NY, USA.
Romain DonneAging/Age-Related Disorders, 777 Old Saw Mill River Road, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Tarrytown, NY, USA.
Jianing XuAging/Age-Related Disorders, 777 Old Saw Mill River Road, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Tarrytown, NY, USA.
Abhilash GadiAging/Age-Related Disorders, 777 Old Saw Mill River Road, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Tarrytown, NY, USA.
Corissa McEwenAging/Age-Related Disorders, 777 Old Saw Mill River Road, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Tarrytown, NY, USA.
Hunter SalmonAging/Age-Related Disorders, 777 Old Saw Mill River Road, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Tarrytown, NY, USA.
Kun XiongMolecular Profiling, 777 Old Saw Mill River Road, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Tarrytown, NY, USA.
Yu BaiMolecular Profiling, 777 Old Saw Mill River Road, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Tarrytown, NY, USA.
Mary GerminoImaging Sciences, 777 Old Saw Mill River Road, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Tarrytown, NY, USA.
Kevin BarringerInflammation & Immune Diseases, 777 Old Saw Mill River Road, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Tarrytown, NY, USA.
Yasalp JimenezInflammation & Immune Diseases, 777 Old Saw Mill River Road, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Tarrytown, NY, USA.
Maria Del Pilar Molina-PortelaInflammation & Immune Diseases, 777 Old Saw Mill River Road, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Tarrytown, NY, USA.
Tea ShavlakadzeAging/Age-Related Disorders, 777 Old Saw Mill River Road, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Tarrytown, NY, USA.
David J GlassAging/Age-Related Disorders, 777 Old Saw Mill River Road, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Tarrytown, NY, USA. david.glass@regeneron.com.

Funding

CSRD VA 1
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPrior studies suggested that canonical Activin Receptor II (ActRII) and BMP receptor (BMPR) ligands can have opposing, distinct effects on skeletal muscle depending in part on differential downstream SMAD activation. It was therefore of interest to test ActRII ligands versus BMP ligands in settings of muscle differentiation and in vivo. METHODS AND

resultsIn human skeletal muscle cells, both ActRII ligands and BMP ligands inhibited myogenic differentiation: ActRII ligands in a SMAD2/3-dependent manner, and BMP ligands via SMAD1/5. Surprisingly, a neutralizing ActRIIA/B antibody mitigated the negative effects of both classes of ligands, indicating that some BMPs act at least partially through the ActRII receptors in skeletal muscle. Gene expression analysis showed that both ActRII and BMP ligands repress muscle differentiation genes in human myoblasts and myotubes. In mice, hepatic BMP9 over-expression induced liver toxicity, caused multi-organ wasting, and promoted a pro-atrophy gene signature despite elevated SMAD1/5 signaling in skeletal muscle. Local overexpression of BMP7 or BMP9, achieved by intramuscular AAV delivery, induced heterotopic ossification. Elevated SMAD1/5 signaling with increased expression of BMP target genes was also observed in sarcopenic muscles of old rats.

conclusionsThe canonical ActRII ligand-SMAD2/3 and BMP ligand-SMAD1/5 axes can both block human myoblast differentiation. Our observations further demonstrate the osteoinductive function of BMP ligands while pointing to a potential relevancy of blocking the BMP-SMAD1/5 axis in the setting of therapeutic anti-ActRIIA/B inhibition.

Indexed as

Activin Receptors, Type IIBone Morphogenetic Protein ReceptorsBone Morphogenetic ProteinsCell DifferentiationMuscle, SkeletalMyoblasts, SkeletalOssification, HeterotopicAnimalsBone Morphogenetic Protein 7HumansLigandsMiceMice, Inbred C57BLMuscle DevelopmentSignal TransductionActivin Receptors, Type IIBone Morphogenetic Protein 7Bone Morphogenetic Protein ReceptorsBone Morphogenetic ProteinsLigandsActivin AActRIIA/BBMPBMPR2GDF11GDF8Heterotopic ossificationMuscle differentiationMyostatinSkeletal muscle

Identifiers

PMID39994804
PMCPMC11853584

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.