Biochem Pharmacol: the birth of elixir? Research has found small molecule drugs that can reverse muscle aging!

February 17, 2019 / BIOON / - according to a new study published in biological pharmacology, researchers from the University of Texas at Galveston Medical Branch (UTMB, Galveston) have developed a potential drug that can significantly increase the muscle mass, strength and metabolic status of aging mice Photo source: biological pharmacology as we grow older, our bodies begin to lose the ability to repair and reconstruct degraded skeletal muscles more and more quickly From the age of 35, muscle mass, strength and function began to decline continuously This significantly limits the ability of older people to live and move independently "We found that a protein in muscle stem cells seems to cause age-related dysfunction of stem cells, and then we developed a small molecule drug to limit the function of this protein." Stanley watowich, co-author of the study and associate professor of Biochemistry and molecular biology at UTMB, said "By reprogramming muscle stem cells to make them younger, we have succeeded in reinvigorating them so that they can repair muscle tissue more effectively." In this study, researchers used the drug or placebo to treat muscle damaged aging mice After seven days of treatment, the researchers found that more muscle stem cells were repairing damaged muscles in mice receiving small molecule drugs At the same time, compared with the placebo group, the muscle fiber mass of the treatment group doubled, and the muscle strength increased by 70% In addition, the researchers found little difference in blood chemistry between the two groups, indicating that the drug had no significant side effects At present, the proportion of people over 65 years old is increasing rapidly in many countries By the next decade, the elderly in the United States will increase by 40%, and their health care costs will double, accounting for half of the cost of health care in the United States Most of these costs will be used to treat diseases related to muscle degradation, such as hip fractures, falls and heart disease "Currently, there is no effective treatment to delay, stop or even reverse aging related muscle degeneration." Harshini neelakantan, co-author of the study and researcher of UTMB biochemistry and molecular biology, said "These initial results suggest that we have the hope to develop an innovative new drug that can help older people become healthier, more athletic and stronger, which can make them more autonomous and independent in their old age." Reference materials: harshini neelakantan et al, small motorcycle nicotinamide n-methylransferase activators sent muscle stem cells and improved regulatory capacity of aged skeleton muscle, biological Pharmacology (2019) Doi: 10.1016/j.bcp.2019.02.008