Education & Training:
Worcester Polytechnic Institute, BS
Johns Hopkins University, PhD

Research Interests:
Skeletal muscle tissue possesses a tremendous capacity to regenerate after injury. Largely responsible for this formidable response is a small resident population of muscle stem cells. The current research efforts in the Lepper laboratory are geared towards determining the principle mechanisms regulating muscle stem cell expansion and entry into quiescence at a genome-wide level, as well as, single-gene functional level. In particular, we are investigating the molecular regulation underlying the acquisition of the correct number of muscle stem cells during the early postnatal period. This new line of research is leading us to focus on the role of the skeletal muscle fiber in the regulation of muscle stem cell pool size. To reach a deep and global understanding of this fundamental process, we are employing a combination of approaches including mouse genetics, molecular and cellular biology and ‘omic technologies.

Selected Publications:

• Lepper C, Conway SJ, Fan CM. Adult satellite cells and embryonic muscle progenitors have distinct genetic requirements. Nature. 2009; 460(7255):627-31. NIHMSID: NIHMS136136 PubMed [journal] PMID: 19554048, PMCID: PMC2767162

• Lepper C, Partridge TA, Fan CM. An absolute requirement for Pax7-positive satellite cells in acute injury-induced skeletal muscle regeneration. Development (Cambridge, England). 2011; 138(17):3639-46. PubMed [journal] PMID: 21828092, PMCID: PMC3152922.

• Lepper C, Fan CM. Inducible lineage tracing of Pax7-descendant cells reveals embryonic origin of adult satellite cells. Genesis (New York, N.Y. : 2000). 2010; 48(7):424-36. NIHMSID: NIHMS292397 PubMed [journal] PMID: 20641127, PMCID: PMC3113517

• Günther S, Kim J, Kostin S, Lepper C, Fan CM, Braun T. Myf5-positive satellite cells contribute to Pax7-dependent long-term maintenance of adult muscle stem cells. Cell stem cell. 2013; 13(5):590-601. NIHMSID: NIHMS601389 PubMed [journal] PMID: 23933088, PMCID: PMC4082715

• Southard S, Low S, Li L, Rozo M, Harvey T, Fan CM, Lepper C. A series of Cre-ER(T2) drivers for manipulation of the skeletal muscle lineage. Genesis (New York, N.Y. : 2000). 2014; 52(8):759-70. NIHMSID: NIHMS691414 PubMed [journal]
  PMID: 24844572, PMCID: PMC4441791

• Southard S, Kim JR, Low S, Tsika RW, Lepper C. Myofiber-specific TEAD1 overexpression drives satellite cell hyperplasia and counters pathological effects of dystrophin deficiency. eLife. 2016; 5. PubMed [journal] PMID: 27725085, PMCID: PMC5059137

NCBI link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/myncbi/christoph.lepper.1/bibliography/44141401/public/?sort=date&direction=ascending