8 replies to this topic

[johnross47]

http://www.scienceda...40216151719.htm

Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have pinpointed why normal aging is accompanied by a diminished ability to regain strength and mobility after muscle injury: Over time, stem cells within muscle tissues dedicated to repairing damage become less able to generate new muscle fibers and struggle to self-renew.
Credit: © mgkuijpers / Fotolia

materials provided by Stanford University Medical Center. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

Journal Reference:

• Jennifer D Bernet, Jason D Doles, John K Hall, Kathleen Kelly Tanaka, Thomas A Carter, Bradley B Olwin. p38 MAPK signaling underlies a cell-autonomous loss of stem cell self-renewal in skeletal muscle of aged mice. Nature Medicine, 2014; DOI: 10.1038/nm.3465

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Stanford University Medical Center. "Researchers rejuvenate stem cell population from elderly mice, enabling muscle recovery." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 16 February 2014. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/02/140216151719.htm>.

If we were treated like this, and then undertook a program of intense resistance exercise, might we achieve some degree of rejuvenation of muscle?

[nowayout]

This seems to be an important piece of research. Basically they found that they could restore youthful behavior of stem cells by blocking the p38 MAP kinase pathway with a drug. In old stem cells, this pathway is overactive.

Seems like a promising drug target.

[niner]

There are dozens of p38 inhibitors that have been developed by a number of different pharmas. It initially looked like it was going to be the magic bullet for inflammation, but after many many trials in a variety of inflammatory conditions, there has been no major success, and there is nothing on the market. It's possible that one of those failed candidates could be repurposed as a stem cell activator, but this class of drugs seems to have no shortage of adverse events. There are some natural products with p38 inhibitory activity- Timar just posted a recipe for p38-crushing tabouli, iirc.

[johnross47]

Has anyone seen the full study? Are there any mentions of side effects?

[nowayout]

...but this class of drugs seems to have no shortage of adverse events.

They removed the stem cells and treated them in vitro, then put them back. So systemic side effects of the drug is not much of a problem.

Has anyone seen the full study? Are there any mentions of side effects?

See above.

[johnross47]

Good point. It might really have some promise.

[niner]

...but this class of drugs seems to have no shortage of adverse events.

They removed the stem cells and treated them in vitro, then put them back. So systemic side effects of the drug is not much of a problem.

Yes, if you do the extraction/reinfusion, then toxicities cease to matter. But I'm wondering if you could get the effect in vivo. That would be a lot easier, if it worked. Getting it to work could be tough though. It would boil down to determining what dose was needed for the effect, what the effect of the various niches was, etc.

[Logic]

There are dozens of p38 inhibitors that have been developed by a number of different pharmas. It initially looked like it was going to be the magic bullet for inflammation, but after many many trials in a variety of inflammatory conditions, there has been no major success, and there is nothing on the market. It's possible that one of those failed candidates could be repurposed as a stem cell activator, but this class of drugs seems to have no shortage of adverse events. There are some natural products with p38 inhibitory activity- Timar just posted a recipe for p38-crushing tabouli, iirc.

Could you plz post a link to Timar's p938 crushing tabouli Niner, I cant find it.

[niner]

Could you plz post a link to Timar's p938 crushing tabouli Niner, I cant find it.

Sorry, turns out I didn't remember correctly. It was CD38, not p38.