Scientists at the Instituto de Medicina Molecular Jo ão Lobo Antunes in Portugal have actually discovered a method to promote muscle regrowth in aged mice by regulating the function of immune cells referred to as macrophages, utilizing a protein called MANF. Their research study, which might possibly be used to human regenerative medication, recommends that increasing MANF levels in aged muscle can restore its regenerative capability, using an appealing opportunity for enhancing the effectiveness of existing muscle regenerative treatments and combating age-related illness.
A group of scientists at iMM has actually found a protein efficient in controling the body immune system and bring back the regenerative capability of muscles in the aging.
Muscle regrowth, a complex, multi-stage procedure that includes numerous elements, consisting of the body immune system, tends to decrease with aging. However, brand-new research study led by Joana Neves and Pedro Sousa-Victor, group leaders at the Instituto de Medicina Molecular Jo ão Lobo Antunes (iMM, Portugal), has actually supplied a fresh point of view on this problem. The findings, just recently released in the journal Nature Aging, reveal that regulating the function of immune cells can bring back muscle regrowth capability in older mice.
In their research study, they found a protein that handles the function of a particular group of immune cells referred to as macrophages. It boosts their capability to get rid of residue in the muscle going through regrowth.
“We found that the behavior of macrophages is altered in aged mice. Macrophages are a type of immune cells that are capable of phagocytosis, the process of ingestion and elimination of particles inside cells”, states Joana Neves, group leader at iMM and co-leader of the research study.
Joana Neves and Pedro Sousa-Victor, group leaders at Instituto de Medicina Molecular Jo ão Lobo Antunes, inLisbon Credit: Jorge Figanier Castro
“During regeneration, the macrophages are responsible for clearing the dead cells from the muscle after injury, which is a normal step of the process of muscle regeneration. Macrophages act like a cellular vacuum cleaner, cleaning the “dirt” from the muscle,” includes Joana Neves.
The scientists discovered that macrophages in aged mice have actually minimized levels of a protein, called MANF, which is essential for this procedure.
“In fact, this protein is so important in this process that if we decrease MANF levels in the macrophages in younger mice, their ability to regenerate muscle is also impaired”, includes Neuza Sousa, a trainee at iMM and very first author of the research study. “On the other hand, increasing the levels of the protein MANF in aged muscle is sufficient to recover muscle’s regenerative capacity,” continues Neuza Sousa.
On the ramifications of the research study for regenerative medication and aging, Pedro Sousa-Victor, co-leader of the research study and likewise a group leader at iMM, states: “A central promise of regenerative medicine is the ability to repair aged or diseased organs using stem cells. This approach will likely become an effective strategy for organ rejuvenation, holding the potential to increase human health span by delaying age-related diseases. Our study shows that immune aging is an important obstacle to the regenerative capacity of aged muscle.”
The medical success of the existing stem-cell-based treatments is restricted by the capability of aged and unhealthy organs to regrow. In this research study, the scientists found an immune modulator that can be utilized to enhance the function of the body immune system in the aged muscle. “We believe that MANF could be used in the future as a supplement to improve the efficiency of current muscle regenerative therapies,” concludes Pedro Sousa-Victor
These findings might be utilized in the future to promote the reparative function of the body immune system and enhance the success of the existing stem-cell-based treatments for muscle regrowth.
Reference: “Aging disrupts MANF-mediated immune modulation during skeletal muscle regeneration” by Neuza S. Sousa, Margarida F. Br ás, In ês B. Antunes, Päivi Lindholm, Joana Neves and Pedro Sousa-Victor, 23 March 2023, Nature Aging
DOI: 10.1038/ s43587 -023-00382 -5
This work was established at iMM in partnership with the Helsinki Institute of Life Science (HiLIFE) inFinland This work was moneyed by the European Molecular Biology Organization and the Funda ção Portuguesa para a Ci ência e a Tecnologia.
