Identifying Loss of Stem Cells as the Primary Cause of Sarcopenia

The decline in muscle mass and strength that occurs with aging, known as sarcopenia, is thought to correlate with a loss of motor neurons, theorized to be an important cause of the process. Researchers here point instead to loss of stem cells as the primary cause of age-related muscle decline. Stem cell activity is well known to fade with age, an evolutionary adaptation to increasing levels of tissue damage that may serve to reduce cancer risk. Progress in the stem cell research field to date, such as the development of therapies based on spurring more youthful levels of stem cell activity in the old, suggest that there is considerable room for greater regeneration without higher rates of cancer, however. Researchers have discovered that loss of muscle stem cells is the main driving force behind muscle decline in old age in mice. Their finding challenges the current prevailing theory that age-related muscle decline is primarily caused by loss of motor neurons. Study authors hope to develop a drug or therapy that can slow muscle stem cell loss and muscle decline in the future. As early as your mid 30s, the size and strength of your muscles begins to decline. The changes are subtle to start - activities that once came easily are not so easy now - but by your 70s or 80s, this decline can leave you frail and reliant on others even for simple daily tasks. While the speed of decline varies from person to person and may be slowed by diet and exercise, virtually no one compl...
Source: Fight Aging! - Category: Research Authors: Tags: Daily News Source Type: blogs