Combined angiogenic and hypertrophic gene therapy enhances skeletal muscle growth

We used intramuscular and systemic adeno-associated viral vector (AAV) gene delivery of myostatin propeptide (Pro-MSTN) and vascular endothelial growth factor B (VEGF-B) to induce muscle growth and angiogenesis in skeletal muscle. The intramuscular delivery of VEGF-B and Pro-MSTN in combination enhanced skeletal muscle growth and rescued vascularization when compared with Pro-MSTN alone. Single-cell RNA sequencing data showed that the treatments had the greatest effect on endothelial cells and pericytes. The combination treatment also improved body composition and muscle mass in diabetic mice, when delivered systemically.