A team of scientists in China has discovered a new way to help fight muscle aging. Their research shows that a special protein called SIRT5 may protect muscles from getting weaker as we grow older.
This important study was led by Professor Liu Guanghui from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Dr. Wang Si from Capital Medical University. It was published in the journal Nature Metabolism.
As people age, their muscles naturally become smaller and weaker. This can make it hard to walk, increase the risk of falling, and lead to other health problems. Strong muscles are not only important for moving around—they also help the body use energy and stay healthy overall. But right now, there are not many treatments that directly deal with muscle aging.
The researchers used a primate model to see how muscles change with age. They found several signs of muscle aging: smaller muscle fibers, more inflammation, fewer stem cells to repair damage, and changes in muscle fiber types.
One of their biggest findings was that older muscles had lower levels of a protein called SIRT5. This protein is known for supporting health and has even been called a “longevity protein.”
To understand why SIRT5 is important, the team looked at how it interacts with another protein called TBK1. TBK1 is known to cause inflammation. The scientists discovered that SIRT5 helps stop TBK1 from becoming too active.
It does this by removing a chemical marker from TBK1. Without enough SIRT5, TBK1 becomes more active, which increases inflammation and speeds up muscle aging.
Once they understood this process, the scientists tried a new treatment. They used gene therapy to add more SIRT5 into the muscles of older mice. They used a type of virus called a lentivirus to carry the gene into the cells. After five weeks of treatment, the mice had stronger muscles, bigger muscle fibers, lower inflammation, and more youthful gene activity.
This study gives new hope for slowing down or even reversing muscle aging. By increasing SIRT5 levels, it may be possible to protect muscles and keep people strong and healthy as they age. However, this treatment has only been tested in mice so far. Scientists will need to do more research to see if it works in humans and to make sure it is safe.
There are still many questions. Researchers need to learn more about how SIRT5 works in different parts of the body and whether increasing it could cause any problems. But the findings are a big step forward. They explain one of the main reasons muscles age and suggest a new way to treat or prevent muscle loss in older people.
If future studies confirm these results, treatments based on SIRT5 could help millions of older adults stay strong, active, and independent. For now, this exciting research opens the door to new possibilities in the fight against age-related muscle decline.
If you care about muscle, please read studies about factors that can cause muscle weakness in older people, and scientists find a way to reverse high blood sugar and muscle loss.
For more health information, please see recent studies about an easy, cheap way to maintain muscles, and results showing these vegetables essential for your muscle strength.
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