New molecule linked to muscle loss in people with type 2 diabetes

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have discovered a previously unknown molecule that may explain why people with type 2 diabetes often suffer from muscle weakness and muscle loss - a condition that has a major impact on quality of life and overall health.

In the new study, published in Sciences Advances, researchers have identified a previously unknown molecule, TMEM9B-AS1, which may explain why people with type 2 diabetes often suffer from muscle weakness and loss of muscle mass. The molecule is a long non-coding RNA that plays an important role in regulating cellular functions.

The researchers discovered that TMEM9B-AS1 is significantly reduced in skeletal muscles in individuals with type 2 diabetes, and its absence disrupts the machinery needed to build new muscle proteins.

Our study shows that TMEM9B-AS1 supports the stability of MYC, a key gene that drives the production of ribosomes - the factories that manufacture proteins. Without this RNA molecule, MYC becomes unstable, and muscle cells lose their ability to maintain normal protein production. This may help explain the muscle deterioration we often see in people with metabolic diseases."

Ilke Sen, first author, affiliated researcher at the Department of physiology and parmacologypharmacology, Karolinska Institutet

The study was conducted in collaboration with researchers from the Mondor Institute for Biomedical Research in Paris, France, and the University of Innlandet, Lillehammer, Norway.