A surprising discovery could help aging muscles repair themselves — SkimNews
Get the Health newsletter
Daily health & science — research, biotech, public health, the studies worth knowing. Free.
- HGF binds the c-met receptor on muscle satellite cells, but nitration at Y198 and Y250 weakens that interaction involved in muscle regeneration.
- LASSS produced "Super HGF" when researchers raised the LASSS-to-HGF molar ratio from 1:4,000 to 1:8,000, giving treated HGF more than twice untreated HGF's c-met binding affinity and greater resistance to nitration at Y198.
- GSSSG reduced nitration at HGF's Y198 and Y250 sites but did not fully restore receptor binding or match LASSS's c-met improvement.
- Kyushu University researchers led by Ryuichi Tatsumi published the findings in Scientific Reports.
- LASSS reduced HGF nitration in mice subjected to tail suspension, while GSSSG failed to produce the same protection in vivo.
- Mouse experiments showed protection against nitration, not restored muscle mass or improved physical strength; researchers said aging-animal studies are needed to establish LASSS's effectiveness and safety in vivo.
Why it matters: For researchers and clinicians developing treatments for age-related muscle loss, LASSS offers a specific molecular target rather than replacing the body's repair machinery: at a 1:8,000 ratio with HGF, it more than doubled c-met binding affinity and reduced nitration in tail-suspension mice. The material caveat is that muscle mass and strength were not restored, and aging-animal safety remains unestablished.
Ask SkimNews
