Muscle Wasting News and Research

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New exercise program helps people stay strong through cancer

When you’re going through cancer treatment or recovering afterwards, rest might seem like the best medicine.

3 Nov 2026

Affordable exercise program helps people with cancer rebuild strength

When you're going through cancer treatment or recovering afterwards, rest might seem like the best medicine. But research shows that exercise can also play an important role in managing cancer recovery.

2 Nov 2026

Gut microbial catalog reveals systemic inflammation drivers in spinal injury

Scientists exploring the links between a spinal cord injury, inflammation and immune function have turned their attention to a genome-level analysis of the gut microbial community, with early study results offering hints at potential new approaches to aid healing.

30 Oct 2026

Sarcopenia should be treated as a motor system disease

An older patient mentions that the stairs have become harder. They have stopped carrying the shopping in from the car. Last month they had a fall in the kitchen.

26 Oct 2026

Short bursts of exercise may improve fitness and blood sugar in sedentary adults

A systematic review and meta-analysis of 22 studies involving 994 sedentary or inactive adults found that brief “exercise snacks” were associated with improvements in VO₂peak, blood glucose, and triglycerides.

6 Oct 2026

Poor nutrition scores predict mortality risk beyond body weight

In a population-based cohort of 8,398 adults in Leipzig, Germany, poorer nutritional status measured using several laboratory-based scores was associated with a higher risk of all-cause mortality over a median follow-up of about 7.5 years.

5 Oct 2026

Targeting specific nuclear receptor could help preserve aging muscle function

Scientists in the Gerhart-Hines Group pinpoint a molecular cause of muscle aging, and a possible fix. By investigating how muscles adapt to age and disease-related decline, the scientists discovered the involvement of a druggable nuclear receptor, ERRγ, that could be targeted to preserve muscle function.

29 Sep 2026

Researchers suggest a potential therapeutic strategy for muscle loss associated with obesity

Obesity has been linked to skeletal muscle loss and deterioration. While M2 macrophages may play a role in regulating muscle function, the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood.

4 Aug 2026

Researchers discover molecule to fight age-related muscle decline

Skeletal muscle is one of the first tissues to decline with age. This decline can lead to weakness, scarring, fat accumulation inside muscle, and the loss of fast-twitch muscle fibers that are important for quick and powerful movements.

24 Jul 2026

New study links specific microRNAs to cancer-associated cachexia

Cachexia-a syndrome characterized by progressive muscle wasting-affects both humans and dogs with chronic diseases such as cancer.

22 Jul 2026

Myotonia may play a much larger role in driving muscle damage than previously recognized

For decades, researchers studying myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) have focused on the disease's underlying genetic cause: a mutation that produces a toxic form of RNA, disrupting the normal processing of thousands of genetic messages inside cells.

13 Jul 2026

Harvard University hosts the world's largest conference dedicated to longevity biotechnology

The 13th Aging Research & Drug Discovery (ARDD) Meeting, the world's largest conference dedicated to longevity biotechnology, will take place from October 1-3, 2026, at the David Rubenstein Treehouse at Harvard University.

11 Jul 2026

Blocking nerve signaling may reduce cancer-associated cachexia

Researchers have uncovered a previously unrecognized pathway linking lung tumor genetics, diet, and the nervous system that drives cancer-associated cachexia, according to a new study in mice.

2 Jul 2026

Scientists target NOX4 protein in skeletal muscle to combat aging

The powerful role of exercise in maintaining skeletal muscle could be the key to improving health and resilience in older age, according to new research from Monash University.

11 Jun 2026

$2 million NIH funding supports wearable knee exoskeleton research

Building on the success of projects to boost strength by adding motors to conventional knee, hip and ankle braces, a University of Michigan team is exploring how well this approach could work for relieving knee pain from osteoarthritis.

1 Jun 2026

Phase two clinical trial demonstrates dramatic mobility gains in children with severe fibrous dysplasia

Fibrous dysplasia is a rare skeletal disorder in which normal bone is gradually replaced by weak fibro-osseous tissue, leading to fractures, pain, deformities, and severe mobility impairment. In many patients, diseased bone tissue produces excessive amounts of fibroblast growth factor-23 (FGF23), a hormone that causes phosphate loss through the kidneys.

21 May 2026

Olive waste extract may help lower fat and improve muscle markers

A polyphenol-rich olive oil byproduct may enhance muscle health, reducing fat mass and improving antioxidant markers in adults with metabolic risk factors.

18 May 2026

GLP-1 obesity drugs mainly reduce fat while preserving muscle mass

New research to be presented at the European Congress on Obesity (ECO2026) in Istanbul, Turkey (12–15 May) shows that following treatment with GLP-1 drugs for obesity, most weight loss is fat mass (80–85%) and relative muscle mass is preserved.

13 May 2026

Study finds GLP-1 medicines cut fat while preserving muscle function

Researchers found that GLP-1 medicines caused weight loss mainly through fat reduction, with only modest decreases in absolute muscle mass and no disproportionate loss of muscle function. In mice, physical performance improved, while in a small 12-week human pilot trial, strength was preserved despite reduced thigh muscle size.

18 Mar 2026

New study identifies specific brain cells most vulnerable to ALS and dementia

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) belong to a spectrum of neurodegenerative diseases with overlapping symptoms, characterized by muscle wasting, paralysis, dementia, and other serious impairments.

12 Mar 2026