Kyushu University Researchers Discover Compound to Enhance Muscle Repair in Aging
Researchers at Kyushu University, led by Professor Ryuichi Tatsumi, have identified a molecule that could significantly enhance muscle repair in aging individuals. The study, published in Scientific Reports, focuses on hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), a crucial signal for muscle repair. In aging tissues, HGF undergoes nitration, which inhibits its ability to bind to c-met receptors on muscle satellite cells, thus impairing muscle repair. The team discovered that lipoic acid trisulfide (LASSS) can prevent this nitration and even enhance HGF's binding affinity, creating a 'Super HGF' with double the normal binding capacity. This discovery was confirmed through experiments on mouse models, showing that LASSS treatment significantly reduces HGF nitration and preserves muscle repair signals.