Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41596335›Full record

ReviewInternational journal of molecular sciences2026

Twisting Paths: The Paradox of Fiber Branching in Muscle Regeneration.

Leonit Kiriaev, Kathryn N North, Stewart I Head, Peter J Houweling

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in International journal of molecular sciences, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing 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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
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

4 authors.

Leonit KiriaevMuscle Research Group, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia.ORCID 0000-0001-5702-233X
Kathryn N NorthMuscle Research Group, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia.ORCID 0000-0003-0841-8009
Stewart I HeadMuscle Research Group, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-6891-7590
Peter J HouwelingMuscle Research Group, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia.ORCID 0000-0001-6132-2554

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Muscle regeneration following injury reveals a striking paradox: the same phenomenon, fiber branching, can serve as both a beneficial adaptation in healthy muscle and a pathological hallmark in disease. In healthy muscle, branched fibers emerge as an adaptive response to extreme mechanical loading, redistributing stress, enhancing hypertrophy, and protecting against injury. Conversely, in conditions such as Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, excessive and complex branching contributes to mechanical weakness, increased susceptibility to damage, and progressive functional decline. This review explores the dichotomy of fiber branching in muscle physiology, synthesizing current research on its molecular and cellular mechanisms. By understanding the paradoxical nature of fiber branching, we aim to uncover new perspectives for therapeutic strategies that balance its adaptive and pathological roles to improve outcomes for muscle diseases.

Indexed as

Muscle Fibers, SkeletalMuscle, SkeletalRegenerationAnimalsHumansMuscular Dystrophy, DuchenneDuchenne muscular dystrophyeccentric contractionsfiber branchingmdx mousemuscle regeneration

Identifiers

PMID41596335
PMCPMC12840748

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.