John J McCarthy, PhD

The focus of the laboratory is to better understand the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in regulating skeletal muscle hypertrophy. Ongoing studies are focused on determining who skeletal muscle stem cells, known as satellite cells, are communicating with during hypertrophic growth and how such communication may be affected by old age. We think some of this intercellular communication involves exosomes so we are developing tools to allow us to track and isolate tissue-specific exosomes (satellite cell and myofiber) to determine which cells are communicating with one another and what are they "saying" to each other. We have also become interested in what role the gut microbiome may have in skeletal muscle plasticity. Finally, we have a longstanding interest in trying to solve the mystery of the muscle-specific ribosomal protein, RPL3-like. What is so unique about skeletal muscle that it requires its own RPL3 protein?  

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