A common drug used for leukemia can be rubbed onto the skin to actually regrow lost muscle.
April 17, 2026
Original Paper
Topical All-Trans Retinoic Acid Administration Enhances Skeletal Muscle Repair by Orchestrating Myogenic Differentiation via LGR6-β-Catenin Signaling
SSRN · 6567688
The Takeaway
When someone suffers a major muscle injury, the body usually fills the gap with scar tissue instead of new muscle, leading to permanent weakness. Scientists found that applying ATRA (a leukemia drug) directly to the skin triggers a specific signaling pathway that forces the body to build new muscle fibers instead of scars. In animal models, this didn't just look better; it actually restored the muscle's strength and function. This is 'practical magic' because ATRA is already a clinically approved drug, meaning we are much closer to a 'muscle-regrowing cream' than we thought. It could change the lives of people with debilitating injuries who previously had no hope of full recovery.
From the abstract
Volumetric muscle loss (VML), a common consequence of trauma or surgery, often leads to chronic disability. Although regenerative therapies for efficient muscle regeneration and functional recovery are ideal, their development remains challenging. Here we report that, all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA), a clinically approved drug for leukemia, effectively promotes skeletal muscle repair, and restores muscle function in VML mouse models. Mechanistically, ATRA enhances myogenic differentiation in a do