Does "affected cells" refer to "themuscle stem cellls with Duchenne muscular dystrophy"?

Context:

Potential uses for therapy

"This new approach paves the way toward preventing or treating diseases of aging," said Blau. "There are also highly debilitating genetic diseases associated with telomere shortening that could benefit from such a potential treatment."

Blau and her colleagues became interested in telomeres when previous work in her lab showed that the muscle stem cells of boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy had telomeres that were much shorter than those of boys without the disease. This finding not only has implications for understanding how the cells function -- or don't function -- in making new muscle, but it also helps explain the limited ability to grow affected cells in the laboratory for study.

More:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/01/150123102539.htm