Washington DC, Nov. 24 -- A research team has found that specific immune cells can connect with muscle fibres in a lightning-fast, neuron-like way to promote healing.

These cells deliver quick pulses of calcium, triggering repair within seconds. The mechanism works in both injury and disease models. The discovery could inspire new treatments for muscle recovery and degeneration.

At the cellular scale, the way muscle tissue repairs itself becomes surprisingly complex. The body does not respond the same way to all forms of damage. A sudden muscle tear from a sports injury differs greatly from the slow decline in muscle strength seen in conditions such as muscular dystrophy.

A research team at Cincinnati Children's has uncovered a shared ...