Scientists find compound that may help muscles stay strong as we age - Medical Xpress

What the report says

Medical Xpress reported on July 24, 2026, that a Kyushu University team led by Professor Ryuichi Tatsumi has identified a sulfur-based compound that may help preserve muscle-repair signaling that weakens with age. The work, published in Scientific Reports, focuses on skeletal muscle decline, which can contribute to reduced strength, scarring, fat buildup in muscle and loss of fast-twitch fibers used for rapid movements.

The researchers studied hepatocyte growth factor, or HGF, a protein involved in activating satellite cells, the stem-like cells that help repair skeletal muscle. According to the report, HGF can become less effective with aging when nitration alters two sites on the protein that are important for binding to the c-Met receptor. Tatsumi’s team tested two trisulfide compounds with antioxidant properties: glutathione trisulfide, known as GSSSG, and lipoic acid trisulfide, known as LASSS.

In laboratory experiments, both compounds reduced nitration of HGF, but LASSS produced a stronger effect at a higher ratio. Medical Xpress reported that LASSS more than doubled HGF’s binding affinity for c-Met compared with untreated HGF and made the protein more resistant to nitration-related loss of function. The team described this as creating an enhanced form of HGF, though the findings remain early-stage.

The researchers also tested LASSS in a mouse model of muscle atrophy caused by tail suspension and found lower HGF nitration in treated animals than in untreated ones. The article notes that more studies, including work in aging animals, are needed to assess effectiveness and safety. If confirmed, the findings could inform future strategies for age-related muscle loss, disuse from bed rest and possibly muscle health in companion animals, but no human treatment has yet been demonstrated.