Mitochondrial dysfunction with its links to deregulation of cholesterol biosynthesis and impairment of energy homeostasis are known to occur in DMD (Onopiuk et al., 2009, Percival et al., 2013, Rybalka et al., 2014, Yoon et al., 2016); hence, our findings raise the possibility that BMI1 overexpression ameliorates the differentiation potential of DMD myoblasts by impacting these cellular functions. The gene discussed is DMD; the disease is Duchenne muscular dystrophy.