Myoblast transplantation: What's going on?

Muscle tissue, due to its syncytial cellular structure and specific nerve and vascular requirements, cannot be transplanted as an organ. In an effort to use transplantation to overcome genetically determined biochemical deficiencies in muscle, attention has focused on delivering the developmental precursors of mature muscle fibers, myoblasts, as donor cells for cellular transplantation. Consequent to a brief report showing limited success of the technique in mice in 1988, human trials were summarily designed, funded, and initiated. The human trials have spurred more controversy than concrete data, with more reports appearing in the popular press than in scientific journals. This review summarizes the events leading to the current state of affairs, and underscores the biological hurdles facing myoblast transplantation before it can be considered a therapeutic modality.