Sunday, March 23, 2008

Enhancing Skeletal Muscle Mass and Strength


The latest issue of PNAS has this article about a promising genetic therapeutic for improving skeletal muscle mass and strength. Here is the abstract:

"Long-term enhancement of skeletal muscle mass and strength by single gene administration of myostatin inhibitors"
By Amanda M. Haidet et. al.

Increasing the size and strength of muscles represents a promising therapeutic strategy for musculoskeletal disorders, and interest has focused on myostatin, a negative regulator of muscle growth. Various myostatin inhibitor approaches have been identified and tested in models of muscle disease with varying efficacies, depending on the age at which myostatin inhibition occurs. Here, we describe a one-time gene administration of myostatin-inhibitor-proteins to enhance muscle mass and strength in normal and dystrophic mouse models for >2 years, even when delivered in aged animals. These results demonstrate a promising therapeutic strategy that warrants consideration for clinical trials in human muscle diseases.


Cheers,
Colin