North Staffordshire researchers investigate muscle wasting and frailty in older people
North Staffordshire researchers received £19,985 in funding from the North Staffordshire Medical Institute to investigate the genetic processes involved in muscle wasting and frailty in older people.
The research team, led by Dr Adam Sharples at Keele University’s Institute of Science and Technology in Medicine, aimed to better understand why muscles weaken following periods of inactivity and whether those changes could eventually be targeted through new treatments.
The project focused on the genes involved in muscle loss, with the longer-term aim of finding ways to help older people maintain strength, mobility and independence.
Understanding muscle wasting and frailty
Loss of muscle strength can have a major impact on quality of life as people get older.
Periods of inactivity following an injury or operation can accelerate muscle loss, making everyday activities more difficult and potentially increasing the risk of further falls.
Dr Sharples and his team investigated whether certain genes become more or less active when muscles are unused.
The researchers expected these changes to involve epigenetic modifications – chemical markers that influence how genes behave without changing the underlying DNA sequence.
Understanding these changes could help scientists identify biological processes that might eventually be targeted with medicines or other therapies.
Investigating muscle memory
The team had previously discovered evidence that muscles can retain a form of biological “memory” following periods of growth, allowing them to respond more effectively if they are trained again later.
The funded study explored whether a similar process could occur following muscle loss.
Researchers wanted to understand whether muscles that had previously wasted could become more susceptible to further deterioration after another period of injury or inactivity.
If such a process could be identified, it could potentially provide new targets for treatments aimed at slowing repeated muscle loss and reducing frailty.
Studying muscle tissue from patients
The research used tissue samples donated by patients undergoing hip and knee replacement surgery.
Scientists planned to compare muscle affected by periods of inactivity with normal muscle samples, looking for differences in gene activity and epigenetic markers.
Using genome-wide techniques, the team intended to examine more than 850,000 sites across patients’ DNA.
This detailed analysis could help identify the genes and biological pathways most closely associated with rapid muscle wasting.
Looking towards future treatments
One of the longer-term goals of the project was to identify existing or future medicines capable of influencing the biological mechanisms involved in muscle loss.
Exercise remains an important way of maintaining muscle strength, but physical activity may be difficult for people who are already frail or recovering from injury or surgery.
By understanding the genetics of muscle wasting more clearly, researchers hoped to identify additional approaches that could complement exercise and rehabilitation.
The ultimate aim was not simply to help people live longer, but to support a better quality of life, mobility and independence as they age.
Supporting research into healthy ageing
The £19,985 grant formed part of the North Staffordshire Medical Institute’s annual programme of medical research awards.
Funding for early-stage projects can enable researchers to test new ideas, gather preliminary evidence and build the foundations for larger studies.
Dr Sharples’ research demonstrated how advances in genetics and muscle biology could contribute to a greater understanding of frailty and the challenges associated with an ageing population.
Supporting innovative healthcare and medical research remains an important part of the work associated with the Wade Charitable Foundation and North Staffordshire Medical Institute.