We have been studying the role of the Notch pathway in skeletal muscle disease since the early 2010s, when we developed an interest in the muscle disease gene MEGF10.  This gene is expressed in muscle stem cells and its protein product interacts with the Notch pathway.  We and other groups have characterized some of these Notch pathway interactions and have also linked dysfunction in these interactions with the disease mechanism of MEGF10 myopathy.  In various models of MEGF10 myopathy, we have found that sertraline, a classic selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), ameliorates disease manifestations, and we will pursue this therapeutic approach further.  POGLUT1 is another muscle disease gene whose protein product interacts with the Notch pathway.  Lastly, given that JAG2 is a canonical Notch ligand, our discovery that the encoding gene JAG2 is associated with muscular dystrophy indicates that the Notch pathway is even more closely involved with muscle development, muscle health, and muscle disease than previously thought.  We are thus interested in examining the Notch pathway in greater depth as a potential therapeutic target for muscular dystrophy and other muscle diseases.