A Discovery That Could Keep Muscles Strong as We Get Older
As people and animals get older, their muscles can get weaker. This can make it harder to move quickly, play, or even do everyday things. Scientists at Kyushu University in Japan wanted to find out if there was a way to help muscles stay strong, even as we age.
Our muscles have a special helper called HGF, a protein that wakes up muscle repair cells when we get hurt or need to grow stronger. But as we get older, HGF can get changed by a process called nitration, which makes it stop working properly—like a key that gets rusty and won’t fit the lock anymore. That’s why older muscles don’t heal or grow as well as younger ones.
The scientists wondered if they could protect HGF using special compounds. They tested two sulfur-based substances—one called LASSS and another called GSSSG—to see if they could keep HGF working right. They found that LASSS could not only protect HGF from getting damaged, but it also made HGF work even better, turning it into a kind of “Super HGF.” This new version of HGF was extra good at waking up muscle repair cells and wasn’t as easily damaged as before.
To see if this really worked, the scientists tested LASSS in mice that had weak muscles. The mice that got LASSS had stronger muscles and better muscle repair than those that didn’t. This discovery might someday help people and pets keep their muscles strong as they get older, so they can stay active and healthy for longer.
While more research is needed, this exciting find could mean that in the future, growing older won’t have to mean getting weaker. Maybe one day, everyone—kids, grown-ups, and even pets—will be able to keep moving and playing with strong muscles, no matter their age.
Link to original article: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-scientists-compound-muscles-stay-strong.html
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