Scientists may have found a clue to prevent muscles from aging, study hints - Live Science

What the report says

Live Science reported that researchers have identified compounds that may help keep muscle-regenerating stem cells responsive in mice, a finding that could point toward future approaches for age-related muscle loss if it can be replicated in older animals and eventually humans. The study, published in Scientific Reports, focused on “satellite cells,” which sit near skeletal muscle fibers and help repair damage after exercise or injury.

According to the report, the team examined a chemical process called nitration that can impair hepatocyte growth factor, or HGF, a protein signal needed to activate satellite cells. Ryuichi Tatsumi, a muscle physiologist at Kyushu University in Japan and a study co-author, said reactive molecules involved in normal metabolism become more abundant with age. The researchers’ earlier work suggested that this can chemically alter HGF, making it less able to bind to receptors on satellite cells.

In the new mouse and lab-dish experiments, two compounds reduced HGF nitration. One, lipoic acid trisulfide, or LASSS, appeared especially notable: at higher concentrations it not only protected HGF but also seemed to improve its receptor binding. Young mice given LASSS in drinking water during a short period of hind-limb disuse showed less HGF nitration around muscle cells than untreated mice.

The findings are preliminary. Matthew Krause, a University of Windsor muscle physiologist not involved in the work, told Live Science the results were promising but noted that the study did not measure actual muscle wasting or test old mice. Further research would be needed to assess whether LASSS is safe, whether it preserves muscle function, and whether the same mechanism matters in human aging or disease-related muscle loss.