Within muscle stem cells, it helps preserve the genetic instructions that define the cells and allow them to regenerate muscle after damage. They then become active, multiply, rebuild the damaged area, and produce replacement stem cells that return to a dormant state. Muscle Stem Cells Lost Their IdentityTo determine what happens without the protein, the researchers removed TRF2 from muscle stem cells in laboratory mice. A Possible Connection Between Regeneration and CancerThe findings reveal a biological mechanism that allows muscle stem cells to retain their regenerative abilities. Skeletal muscle has an exceptional ability to regenerate, yet cancers that begin in muscle tissue are relatively uncommon.