Scientists Reverse Muscle Aging In Mice

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Scientists Reverse Muscle Aging In Mice

Posted by Soulskill on Friday December 20, 2013 @09:50AM from the mighty-mouse-will-return dept.

retroworks sends word that a group of researchers has found a chemical that successfully rejuvenated muscle tissue in mice. The scientists "said it was the equivalent of transforming a 60-year-old's muscle to that of a 20-year-old — but muscle strength did not improve." The study (abstract) is being called an "exciting finding" but the researchers are quick to point out the chemical only reverses one aspect of aging. Damage to DNA and shortening of telomeres continues. Still, it's one piece of the puzzle, and the group is hoping to begin clinical trials in 2015.

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Huh? by Anonymous Coward · 2013-12-20 09:53 · Score: 4, Interesting

DNA and telomere damage continues, and muscle strength does not improve. So what exactly makes this the equivalent of 20 year old's muscles? An affinity for beer and an overwhelming urge to chase women around?
1. Re:Huh? by Trepidity · 2013-12-20 10:06 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  From the summary, it seems they're specifically looking at the decline in mitochondrial function that accompanies aging. There's already known to be such a relationship, and the study linked here is claiming that increasing the levels of something claimed NAD+ in the muscular tissue of mice appears to reverse the decline in mitochondrial function.
  
  --
  10 PRINT CHR$(205.5+RND(1)); : GOTO 10
2. Re:Huh? by iamnotasmurf · 2013-12-20 10:16 · Score: 1
  
  i drank a lot of beer and i chased a women home last night.and now im in a police cell. last time ill take part in a cretin advertising campaign!
  
  --
  My sig has no nature
3. Re:Huh? by Anonymous Coward · 2013-12-20 10:23 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  This isn't really novel since the SIRTUIN/NAD+/Resveratrol story has been know for sometime. Activation of Sir2 in yeast by resveratrol extended lifespan(guarente et al).
4. Re: Huh? by Anonymous Coward · 2013-12-20 10:28 · Score: 1
  
  It's been known for a while that NAD is beneficial - what they seem to have achieved here is find something that increases the amount in the tissue. They are using something called NMN to do this but appear to be using massive doses that are injected.
5. Re:Huh? by ackthpt · 2013-12-20 10:31 · Score: 2
  
  DNA and telomere damage continues, and muscle strength does not improve. So what exactly makes this the equivalent of 20 year old's muscles? An affinity for beer and an overwhelming urge to chase women around?
  Don't forget the urge to drive monster trucks.
  
  --
  
  A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
6. Re: Huh? by Anonymous Coward · 2013-12-20 10:38 · Score: 0
  
  I'd be quite happy with that...
7. Re: Huh? by Anonymous Coward · 2013-12-20 10:43 · Score: 0
  
  NAD is complete bollocks.
8. Re:Huh? by Anonymous Coward · 2013-12-20 10:45 · Score: 0
  
  It's a start, it's a refreshing balance to the usual space fanboyism that's all too common on tech sites.
9. Re: Huh? by mmell · 2013-12-20 10:55 · Score: 1
  
  s/NAD is complete/NADS are
  Fixed that for you.
The Mice are Thrilled! by Anonymous Coward · 2013-12-20 10:04 · Score: 0

Mice around the world rejoice at their new muscles!
1. Re:The Mice are Thrilled! by Stargoat · 2013-12-20 10:07 · Score: 1
  
  Here he comes to save the day!
  
  --
  Hoist Number One and Number Six.
2. Re:The Mice are Thrilled! by Culture20 · 2013-12-20 10:51 · Score: 1
  
  http://science.slashdot.org/story/11/12/19/1435257/researchers-create-mighty-mouse-with-gene-tweak
movie by Anonymous Coward · 2013-12-20 10:05 · Score: 0

I've seen the end to this movie... http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120804
1. Re:movie by erikkemperman · 2013-12-20 10:34 · Score: 1
  
  For an interesting and entertaining extrapolation of a planet without death, I recommend Torchwood: Miracle Day. (British scifi, spun off of Doctor Who, but rather more grim and dark and gory.
  
  --
  Gosh, thanks. That must be why the other ships call me Meatfucker -- GCU Grey Area (Eccentric)
2. Re:movie by ChrisMaple · 2013-12-20 11:24 · Score: 1
  
  You might also consider Niven's "Bordered in Black".
  
  --
  Contribute to civilization: ari.aynrand.org/donate
3. Re:movie by Anonymous Coward · 2013-12-20 12:14 · Score: 0
  
  seen it. was just being snarky....
Left out some details? by Anonymous Coward · 2013-12-20 10:06 · Score: 2, Funny

Yes, but more importantly, how does that affect the flavor of the mice?
Dont bank on it yet -- GSK did by Yergle143 · 2013-12-20 10:12 · Score: 1

The lead author, David Sinclair, has pursued some very interesting hypothesis. This work dovetails into his findings about resveratrol. The trouble is that there has been a mixed record, to say the least, in others (Amgen and Pfizer) reproducing his work:
Still you never know, so I'm mixing up a nice resveratrol NAD+ cocktail.
Keep up the good work scientits! by Sla$hPot · 2013-12-20 10:19 · Score: 2

Speaking of scientits. What about soft tissue?
Dementia and strength by Anonymous Coward · 2013-12-20 10:26 · Score: 0

There's a whole lot of alzheimer's patients out there that are only manageable by family members because of their limited mobility. This research sounds exciting, but all the same, it makes me wonder if there may be problems caring for mentally damaged, but physically fit elders.
NAD(H) by Anonymous Coward · 2013-12-20 10:27 · Score: 2, Interesting

Bodybuilders have been using this for a while now...
Great! by CHIT2ME · 2013-12-20 10:45 · Score: 0

Great! Now we're going to have 90 year old body builders at the gym who can't remember where the are or why they are there!

--
My karma is bad. Don't get too close!!!
"You are not ready for immortality." by mmell · 2013-12-20 10:57 · Score: 2

*turns, leaves room*
1. Re:"You are not ready for immortality." by Anonymous Coward · 2013-12-23 01:40 · Score: 0
  
  *turns, leaves room*
  Nice Babylon 5 reference.
Frozen MidWest by StewBaby2005 · 2013-12-20 11:59 · Score: 1

This 61 year old would love to have 20 something muscles after shovelling snow for the last week here in the frozen MidWest! :)
WHAT chemical: by Ungrounded+Lightning · 2013-12-20 12:44 · Score: 1

From TFA:

Experiments showed that boosting NAD levels, by giving mice a chemical which they naturally convert into NAD,

The chemical used in the study is not mentioned in the linked abstract, either.
Does anyone know what the chemical, and dosage, in question might be?

--
Bantam Dominique roosters crow a four-note song. Once you've heard it as "Happy BIRTHday" you can't NOT hear it that way
1. Re:WHAT chemical: by Anonymous Coward · 2013-12-22 08:54 · Score: 0
  
  Yeah, it's in the methods though:
  "The NMNAT1 plasmid was a kind gift From Professor Toshiyuki Araki (National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Japan) and was generated by cloning mouse NMNAT1 cDNA with a C-terminal 6xHis-Tag into the BamH1 site of a pIRES-eGFP plasmid (Clonetech). The plasmid was purified using endotoxin-free Maxi-Prep Kit (QIAGEN) and resuspended in sterile 0.9% saline. Mice were anaesthetized, their hind limbs shaved and wiped with ethanol. Hyaluronidase (15 units in 50 l saline) was injected into the tibialis cranialis muscle transcutaneously along the length of the muscle using an insulin syringe. Following a 1.5 hr waiting period, plasmid (50 g in 50 l saline) was injected along the complete length of one tibialis muscle. This was followed by eight pulses of 100 V/cm and 20 msec at a frequency of 1 Hz via tweezer electrodes attached to an ECM-830 electroporator (BTX). For each mouse, the contralateral muscle received an equal volume saline and underwent the electroporation protocol, to act as an internal control. Mice were sacrificed 7 days following electroporation and both tibialis muscles were collected for subsequent analyses. Animal experiments followed the guidelines and were approved by the Garvan Institute, Australia."
health insurance has used rape pre existing condit by Joe_Dragon · 2013-12-20 15:24 · Score: 0

pre existing condition
I welcome our young mice overlords... by ignavus · 2013-12-20 15:49 · Score: 1

It's no wonder that mice are so successful as a species. We put so much effort into making them healthier.
Now we are giving them the elixir of youth as well.

--
I am anarch of all I survey.
Diabetes type 2 by Anonymous Coward · 2013-12-21 00:46 · Score: 0

So basically it is boosting muscle cell metabolism rate to youth level. I wonder if it would reverse the glucose intolerance and cure diabetes type 2?
Obligatory comic reference by Anonymous Coward · 2013-12-21 01:12 · Score: 0

http://www.smbc-comics.com/index.php?db=comics&id=2881