Triggering muscle development -- a therapeutic cure for muscle wastage?

July 2, 2009

Scientists in the UK and Denmark have shown that if elderly men were given

growth hormone and exercised their legs showed an appreciable muscle mass

increase. Dr. Geoff Goldspink (Royal Free and University College Medical School,

UK) says: " This raises the question: Can age-related loss of muscle strength and

increased fragility be ameliorated by the therapeutic application of mechano

growth factor (MGF)? " . There is hope that MGF can also help sufferers of

diseases such as muscular dystrophy, ALS, renal disease or cancer, for whom

intensive exercise is not an option. It may even prove useful to ameliorate

muscle loss resulting from long periods in zero-gravity conditions during space

travel. Dr. Mark (University College London, UK) will present their latest

results on how MGF exerts its effects during his talk at the Society of

Experimental Biology Annual Meeting in Glasgow on Wednesday 1st July 2009.

When muscles are stretched during exercise, they produce a specific substance

known as mechano growth factor (MGF) that activates stem cells already present

in the tissue. Once activated, these progenitor cells begin to divide, creating

additional muscle fibres and increasing the size and strength of the muscle. In

addition to intensive exercise, muscles need to be stimulated by growth hormone

(GH) in order to release MGF. Since there is a natural decrease in the levels of

this hormone as we age, this may combine with the lack of intensive physical

activity to cause muscle wasting in elderly people. " The downside " , warns Dr.

Goldspink, " is that MGF has great potential for doping in sports. A synthetic

version is already available over the internet, and although it is still very

expensive, it is expected that new technologies will bring down the price to

make it comparable to that of human insulin " .

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