Lochmüller Lab

Dr. Markus A. Rüegg is a neurobiologist and professor at the Biozentrum of the University of Basel. His research focuses on the molecular mechanisms that maintain skeletal muscle structure and function, with particular emphasis on neuromuscular disorders and congenital muscular dystrophies. For more than two decades, his work has contributed to understanding the biological pathways underlying these conditions and to exploring potential therapeutic approaches, including gene-based strategies for LAMA2-related congenital muscular dystrophy.

Selected publications:

Schedel, J., Lin, S., Bock, T., Burri, D. and Ruegg, M.A. (2026) “Laminin-α2 is required for the maintenance of the myotendinous junction in vivo”. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory). Available at: 10.64898/2026.02.18.706289.

Reinhard, J.R., Lin, S., Maino, E., Ham, D.J. and Rüegg, M.A. (2026) “Dual AAV gene therapy using laminin-linking proteins ameliorates muscle and nerve defects in LAMA2-related muscular dystrophy”, Molecular Therapy, S1525-0016(26), pp. )00084–5. Available at: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2026.01.041.

McGowan, T.J., Reinhard, J.R., Lewerenz, N., Białobrzeska, M., Lin, S., Stępniewski, J., Szade, K., Dulak, J. and Rüegg, M.A. (2025) “Loss of cell-autonomously secreted laminin-α2 drives muscle stem cell dysfunction in LAMA2-related muscular dystrophy”, Nature Communications, 16(1), p. 10674. Available at: 10.1038/s41467-025-65703-1.