Multiple treatments to slow age-related muscle wasting

Date:
April 20, 2022
Source:
University of Basel
Summary:
Everyone wants to stay fit and healthy as they grow old. But
as we age, our body degrades, our muscles shrink and strength
declines. Some older people suffer from excessive muscle loss, a
condition known as sarcopenia. Researchers show that a combination
therapy could delay the onset of sarcopenia.



FULL STORY ========================================================================== Everyone wants to stay fit and healthy as they grow old. But as we
age, our body degrades, our muscles shrink and strength declines. Some
older people suffer from excessive muscle loss, a condition known as sarcopenia. University of Basel researchers show that a combination
therapy could delay the onset of sarcopenia.


==========================================================================
We now live longer than at any point in human history, but to enjoy those
extra years, we need to remain healthy, mobile and independent. With age, however, our muscles inevitably lose mass and strength. This age-related
muscle loss puts an end to an autonomous lifestyle for many elderly
people, who must then rely on family or the healthcare system for daily support.

Slowing age-related muscle loss "Age-related muscle decline already
occurs in our thirties but begins to accelerate at around 60. By age
80, we have lost about a third of our muscle mass," says Dr. Daniel
Ham, one of the lead authors of the study now published in "Nature Communications". "Although this aging process cannot be stopped,
it is possible to slow it down or counteract it, for example through
exercise." Researchers led by Professor Markus Ru"egg at the Biozentrum
of the University of Basel have demonstrated in mice that both calorie restriction and the drug rapamycin have a positive effect on aging
skeletal muscle. "If we can understand what happens in the muscle as
we age, perhaps we can design treatments to counteract muscle aging
and prevent sarcopenia." "Both calorie restriction and rapamycin have
been proposed as anti-aging interventions, but we didn't expect the two treatments to provide additive benefits," explains Dr. Nitish Mittal,
another lead author of the study.

Previously, it was thought that moderate fasting and rapamycin represent different means of achieving the same goal, namely suppression of the
protein complex mTORC1, which accelerates aging when overactive.

Beneficial effects enhanced with combined treatment "Contrary to our expectations, the treatments do not redundantly converge at mTORC1,"
emphasizes Ham. "While we could understand that calorie restriction would
have beneficial effects beyond mTORC1 suppression, it was incredibly
surprising to us that rapamycin, an mTORC1 inhibitor, further slowed
muscle aging in calorie restricted mice, where mTORC1-activating nutrients
are available for just a few hours each day." In calorie-restricted mice treated with rapamycin, the beneficial effects were therefore additive,
with mice displaying significantly better muscle function than mice
receiving either treatment alone. "Compared to their peers, treated
mice are more active and physically capable because their muscles remain healthy," says Ham.

Healthy muscles for longer independence "The health of our muscle really
is wealth. Beyond physical function, muscles are essential for whole-body metabolism and the proper functioning of many organs," says Mittal. The positive impact of calorie-restricted diets and rapamycin on muscle aging
leads to the intriguing question of whether elderly people suffering from sarcopenia can profit from a combined therapy consisting of an mTORC1 inhibitor, a calorie restriction-mimicking drug and perhaps exercise.

"Strong and healthy muscles provide many benefits for elderly people,
in fact for all of us," says Ham. "We can live an active and independent
life for longer, and enjoy activities such as hiking, traveling or
taking care of the grandkids." This plays a major role in life quality
and satisfaction in old age and also relieves the health care burden.


========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_Basel. Note: Content
may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Daniel J. Ham, Anastasiya Bo"rsch, Kathrin Chojnowska, Shuo Lin,
Aurel B.

Leuchtman, Alexander S. Ham, Marco Thu"rkauf, Julien Delezie, Regula
Furrer, Dominik Burri, Michael Sinnreich, Christoph Handschin,
Lionel A.

Tintignac, Mihaela Zavolan, Nitish Mittal, Markus
A. Ru"egg. Distinct and additive effects of calorie restriction
and rapamycin in aging skeletal muscle. Nature Communications,
2022; 13 (1) DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022- 29714-6 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/04/220420133543.htm

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