JustPhysio, Physio Jobs

Tweaking a gene 'could strengthen muscles'

Monday 21st November 2011

Slightly tweaking a gene could strengthen muscles - suggesting treatments for age-related or genetics-related muscle degenerative conditions.

An international team of scientists were able to create super-strong, high-endurance mice and worms by suppressing a natural muscle-growth inhibitor - a treatment that could in future be used by those with a physiotherapy job. 

A tiny inhibitor could be responsible for determining muscle strength, according to researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne and the University of Lausanne.

Researchers say that the results are a milestone in understanding certain fundamental mechanisms of living organisms, and could potentially pave the way for long-term therapeutic applications.

"This could be used to combat muscle weakness in the elderly, which leads to falls and contributes to hospitalisations," said lead author Johan Auwerx.

"In addition, we think that this could be used as a basis for developing a treatment for genetic muscular dystrophy."

Meanwhile, research published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology revealed that men with higher levels of testosterone lose less muscle as they age.

Written by James Puckle