Pediatric Cell Atlas of Skeletal Muscle

Skeletal muscle is the largest organ system with a high global burden for disease at all life stages. While muscle retains the capacity for continued growth and regeneration even in adulthood, an atlas of adult or of pediatric skeletal muscle has not been generated. This project will develop a comprehensive single-cell Pediatric Cell Atlas (PCA) of healthy skeletal muscle, representing a diverse set of donor tissues across ages, gender and ancestry, benchmarking normal development of this tissue.

The team will combine single-cell, single-nucleus, and spatial transcriptomics, integrating the results to establish a robust reference atlas throughout pediatric skeletal muscle development. This data will enable analysis of cellular composition and tissue architecture between sample meta-variables and assay modalities to provide detailed trajectories of pediatric muscle cells. This team draws together a multi-institutional consortium of muscle researchers and clinicians at children’s hospitals in close consultation with pediatric disease advocates. Findings will be synergized with the efforts of Human Cell Atlas to share resources and integrate datasets, serving as a framework for future disease studies.