Muscle Wasting News and Research

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UNF professor secures NIH grant to investigate enzyme's role in muscle atrophy

A University of North Florida biology professor has been awarded a prestigious four-year National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant totaling over $720K to study the functional role of an enzyme called dual-specificity phosphatase 4 (Dusp4) in skeletal muscle atrophy.

3 Oct 2024

New discovery could lead to improved treatments for age- and cancer-related muscle degeneration

With the global population aging rapidly, sarcopenia, a condition that affects millions of older adults and severely diminishes their quality of life, is emerging as an urgent public health issue.

26 Sep 2024

Drug breakthrough provides new hope for cancer patients with cachexia

Researchers discovered a drug that safely and effectively helped cancer patients when they suffered from cachexia (ku-KEK-see-uh), a common condition related to cancer that involves weight loss and muscle wasting.

19 Sep 2024

Study sheds light on the dual nature of cellular senescence

Scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys and the La Jolla Institute for Immunology have revealed a new secret regarding senescence, a cellular state similar to sleep that is more likely to affect aged cells.

22 Aug 2024

New technique reveals abnormalities in motor neurone disease

Pathological abnormalities associated with motor neurone disease have been identified using a new technique developed at the University of Birmingham.

8 Aug 2024

Scientists explore early life factors contributing to SMA

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a severe neurological disease for which there is presently no cure, although current therapies can alleviate symptoms. In the search for better treatment options, scientists at DZNE and the Dresden University of Technology are now drawing attention to previously unnoticed abnormalities in embryonic development. They base their argument on studies of so-called organoids: Laboratory-grown tissue cultures that can reconstruct disease processes. Their findings are published in the journal Cell Reports Medicine.

27 Jul 2024

Blocking IL-11 protein extends lifespan and health in mice by 25%, study shows

Scientists at the Medical Research Council Laboratory of Medical Science and Imperial College London have discovered that 'switching off' a protein called IL-11 can significantly increase the healthy lifespan of mice by almost 25%.

18 Jul 2024

Breakthrough gene therapy offers hope for Duchenne muscular dystrophy

A new gene therapy treatment for Duchenne muscular dystrophy shows promise of not only arresting the decline of the muscles of those affected by this inherited genetic disease, but perhaps, in the future, repairing those muscles.

18 Jul 2024

Study reveals how inflammation weakens muscles during illness

Infections and neurodegenerative diseases cause inflammation in the brain. But for unknown reasons, patients with brain inflammation often develop muscle problems that seem to be independent of the central nervous system. Now, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have revealed how brain inflammation releases a specific protein that travels from the brain to the muscles and causes a loss of muscle function.

13 Jul 2024

No organ is an island: Genetic study shows unique but interconnected aging markers

Researchers analyzed genetic underpinnings of biological age gaps in nine organ systems using a large dataset from the U.K. Biobank, revealing organ-specific yet interconnected genetic architectures. Their findings may aid in understanding complex diseases and developing holistic treatments.

2 Jul 2024

Blood test identifies specific pathologies in frontotemporal dementia, ALS, and PSP

In a study with 991 adults, scientists at DZNE show that the most common forms of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) as well as the neurological diseases amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) can be recognized by blood testing.

18 Jun 2024

New therapeutic approach for Duchenne muscular dystrophy combines LED therapy with idebenone

In an animal model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, Brazilian researchers tested a therapy that combines photobiomodulation using laser light or light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with idebenone, an antioxidant compound investigated for application in neurodegenerative diseases.

14 Jun 2024

Muscles in microgravity: Spaceflight duration impacts muscle protein stress markers

Study explores the differential effects of short and long-duration space missions on muscle protein nitrosylation in astronauts, indicating adaptations and potential impairments in muscle function due to microgravity, and highlights the role of inflight exercise in mitigating some negative effects on muscle health.

3 Apr 2024

OSU study pinpoints early muscle loss mechanism in acute spinal cord injury

Acute spinal cord injury (SCI) patients lose body weight and muscle mass, despite being on a high-calorie diet while in the intensive care unit.

20 Dec 2023

Tufts researchers explore the science of aging

Anti-wrinkle creams, superfoods that keep you young, dietary supplements that promise improved memory, "immortal" cells that can renew themselves forever-;in our stores and media, claims about aging abound.

2 Nov 2023

AI tool can quickly diagnose muscle wasting in head and neck cancer patients

Researchers from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have found a way to use artificial intelligence (AI) to diagnose muscle wasting, called sarcopenia, in patients with head and neck cancer.

10 Aug 2023

New understanding of wasting could lead to better treatments for infections

Although infections can present with many different symptoms, one common symptom is the loss of fat and muscle, a process called wasting.

24 Jul 2023

Manipulating a signaling protein to slow down muscular dystrophy

A team of researchers at the University of Houston College of Pharmacy is reporting that by manipulating TAK1, a signaling protein that plays an important role in development of the immune system, they can slow down disease progression and improve muscle function in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD).

25 May 2023

Myosteatosis linked to increased risk of major adverse events and death

Asymptomatic adults with a high accumulation of fat in their muscles, known as myosteatosis, are at an increased risk of major adverse events and death, according to a study published in Radiology, a journal of the Radiological Society of North America.

16 May 2023