Cell transplantation has been considered a possible treatment strategy for muscular dystrophy for decades, yet there have been more failures than successes, if not encouraging results so far.
In this review of the literature, the authors briefly retrace the history of cell transplantation and describe the characteristics specific to skeletal muscle, and dystrophic skeletal muscle in particular, that make this type of intervention complicated and ineffective. After briefly reviewing the different types of myogenic cells that have been, or are about to be transplanted (a large number of recent and comprehensive reviews have already been devoted to them), the authors discuss possible strategies to overcome the obstacles. which prevent biological efficacy and therefore clinical success.
