Unraveling the Paradoxical Action of Androgens on Muscle Stem Cells
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Updated: Jan 29, 2026

FACS-Isolation and Culture of Fibro-Adipogenic Progenitors and Muscle Stem Cells from Unperturbed and Injured Mouse Skeletal Muscle
Published on: June 8, 2022
Ji-Yun Seo1, Ji-Hoon Kim1, Young-Yun Kong1
1School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea.
Abstract:
Androgens act in almost all tissues throughout the lifetime and have important roles in skeletal muscles. The levels of androgens increase during puberty and remain sustained at high levels in adulthood. Because androgens have an anabolic effect on skeletal muscles and muscle stem cells, these increased levels of androgens after puberty should lead to spontaneous muscle hypertrophy and hyperplasia in adulthood. However, the maintenance of muscle volume, myonuclei number per myofiber, and quiescent state of satellite cells in adulthood despite the high levels of androgens produces paradoxical outcomes. Our recent study revealed that the physiological increase of androgens at puberty initiates the transition of muscle stem cells from proliferation to quiescence by the androgen-Mindbomb1-Notch signaling axis. This newly discovered androgen action on skeletal muscles underscores the physiological importance of androgens on muscle homeostasis throughout life. This review will provide an overview of the new androgen action on skeletal muscles and discuss the paradoxical effects of androgens suggested in previous studies.
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