One protein, Piezo1, is key to marshalling muscle stem cells’ unique shapes and response to injuries, but it is in low supply in those with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, according to a team at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. However, when they re-activated Piezo1, it allowed muscle stem cells in mice to return to their normal, distinctly-shaped states so that they could repair broken down, dystrophic muscles. These findings, published in Science Advances, open the door to potential molecular-level treatments that may slow or even halt the progression of muscular dystrophy.