Joana Neves and Pedro Sousa-Victor, group leaders at Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, in Lisbon. Credit: Jorge Figanier Castro
” During regrowth, the macrophages are accountable for clearing the dead cells from the muscle after injury, which is a regular step of the process of muscle regrowth. Macrophages imitate a cellular vacuum, cleaning the “dirt” from the muscle,” includes Joana Neves.
The scientists discovered that macrophages in aged mice have minimized levels of a protein, called MANF, which is important for this procedure.
” In fact, this protein is so important in this procedure that if we reduce MANF levels in the macrophages in more youthful mice, their capability to restore muscle is also impaired”, adds Neuza Sousa, a student at iMM and first author of the research study. “On the other hand, increasing the levels of the protein MANF in aged muscle suffices to recover muscles regenerative capability,” continues Neuza Sousa.
On the ramifications of the research study for regenerative medicine and aging, Pedro Sousa-Victor, co-leader of the research study and likewise a group leader at iMM, states: “A main promise of regenerative medicine is the ability to repair aged or infected organs utilizing stem cells. This technique will likely end up being an efficient technique for organ restoration, holding the possible to increase human health span by delaying age-related diseases. Our research study shows that immune aging is a crucial challenge to the regenerative capacity of aged muscle.”
The clinical success of the existing stem-cell-based therapies is restricted by the capability of infected and aged organs to regrow. In this study, the scientists found an immune modulator that can be used to improve the function of the immune system in the aged muscle. “We think that MANF might be used in the future as a supplement to improve the performance of existing muscle regenerative therapies,” concludes Pedro Sousa-Victor.
These findings might be utilized in the future to promote the reparative function of the immune system and improve the success of the present stem-cell-based treatments for muscle regrowth.
Referral: “Aging interferes with MANF-mediated immune modulation throughout skeletal muscle regeneration” by Neuza S. Sousa, Margarida F. Brás, Inês 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 collaboration with the Helsinki Institute of Life Science (HiLIFE) in Finland. This work was funded by the European Molecular Biology Organization and the Fundação Portuguesa para a Ciência e a Tecnologia.
Muscle regrowth, a complex, multi-stage process that includes various factors, consisting of the immune system, tends to decrease with aging. The findings, just recently published in the journal Nature Aging, reveal that modulating the function of immune cells can restore muscle regeneration capacity in older mice.
Our study reveals that immune aging is an essential obstacle to the regenerative capacity of aged muscle.”
In this research study, the scientists discovered an immune modulator that can be used to improve the function of the immune system in the aged muscle. “We think that MANF could be utilized in the future as a supplement to improve the effectiveness of present muscle regenerative treatments,” concludes Pedro Sousa-Victor.
Scientists at the Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes in Portugal have actually discovered a method to promote muscle regrowth in aged mice by modulating the function of immune cells referred to as macrophages, utilizing a protein called MANF. Their research study, which could possibly be used to human regenerative medicine, suggests that increasing MANF levels in aged muscle can restore its regenerative capacity, offering a promising avenue for enhancing the efficacy of current muscle regenerative therapies and combating age-related illness.
A group of researchers at iMM has actually discovered a protein efficient in regulating the body immune system and restoring the regenerative capability of muscles in the aging.
Muscle regeneration, a complex, multi-stage procedure that involves numerous factors, including the 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 João Lobo Antunes (iMM, Portugal), has actually provided a fresh viewpoint on this issue. The findings, just recently published in the journal Nature Aging, reveal that regulating the function of immune cells can restore muscle regeneration capability in older mice.
In their research, they discovered a protein that handles the function of a specific group of immune cells called macrophages. It improves their ability to eliminate residue in the muscle going through regrowth.
” We found that the habits of macrophages is modified in aged mice. Macrophages are a type of immune cells that are capable of phagocytosis, the procedure of ingestion and elimination of particles inside cells”, says Joana Neves, group leader at iMM and co-leader of the research study.