Understanding How to Control Muscle Size

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Understanding How to Control Muscle Size

http://www.regeneron.com/research/disease_template.asp?v_c_id=16

Many different medical conditions cause muscle shrinkage, or atrophy,

such as when a patient suffers from cancer or AIDS, or simply when a

limb is casted following injury, or even when a patient undergoes

prolonged bed rest. Furthermore, the normal atrophy that accompanies

aging, termed sarcopenia, can contribute to debilitating fraility in

older patients. In such settings of muscle atrophy, the patient has

few therapeutic choices to prevent muscle loss.

Muscle size is maintained by a balance between processes that promote

muscle growth via increasing protein synthesis, and processes that

cause muscle atrophy by initiating protein degradation. For example,

tumors might cause muscle atrophy by secreting certain molecules

which can signal muscle cells to increase protein breakdown.

The cellular signals in muscle tissue which initiate muscle protein

synthesis and breakdown are only now beginning to be understood.

Regeneron scientists have identified key cellular proteins that

mediate the muscle growth process, and they have also identified

proteins required for muscle atrophy. Furthermore, they have

demonstrated that that they can manipulate these proteins, primarily

by using genetic approaches, to cause either muscle growth or to

block muscle atrophy in preclinical models. These findings provide

new potential targets that may lead to novel therapeutics for healthy

muscle maintenance. Regeneron is researching muscle atrophy and

related diseases in collaboration with Procter & Gamble

Pharmaceuticals, Inc.