Compound Creates 'Super HGF' to Boost Aging Muscle Repair
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- Professor Ryuichi Tatsumi of Kyushu University led a team that identified LASSS (lipoic acid trisulfide), a sulfur-based compound that both protects HGF from aging-related nitration and enhances its binding to c-met receptors on muscle stem cells.
- The study, published July 24, 2026 in Scientific Reports, found that HGF loses function in aging muscle through nitration at sites Y198 and Y250—described by the team as a 'rusted key' that no longer fits its receptor.
- LASSS at an 1:8000 HGF-to-trisulfide ratio raised HGF's binding to c-met to more than twice that of untreated HGF, producing a 'Super HGF' form that also resisted nitration damage.
- GSSSG (glutathione trisulfide), the second compound tested, reduced nitration markers but failed to boost HGF binding or protect against functional loss in vivo.
- In mice with muscle atrophy induced by tail suspension, LASSS pretreatment significantly reduced nitration levels, while GSSSG provided no measurable protection.
Why it matters: The lead researcher, Ryuichi Tatsumi, frames this as a structural transformation rather than simple antioxidant action—LASSS may directly reshape HGF into a more potent form, a mechanism that could be replicated across humans, cats, and dogs. The catch buried in the source: the in vivo data comes from young mice with induced atrophy, not aged animals, and the team explicitly says additional studies in aging animals are still required before safety or efficacy can be claimed.
