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CRON4healthyfuture
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 Posted: Sat Mar 25, 2006 8:23 am Post subject: Why muscles become weak with age; Satellite cells lost |
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In muscle science, the terminology is a little different. For example, stem cells are no longer called "stem cells" in muscles. They are termed satellite cells.
In any case, their numbers appear to decrease with age. However, and fascinatingly, their capacity to "turn into" muscle cells does NOT seem to diminish in an appreciable manner.
This team of researchers at the University of Washington therefore propose that the satellite cells are, for whatever reason, not being replenished during normal muscle use. Additionally, they propose that the "microenvironment", or "home", that muscles offer for stem cells becomes worse and worse as one ages, to the point where they are no longer good homes for stem cells. This could impact how well the stem cells "replenish" themselves over time.
The most interesting part of this story is the fact that although the "old muscle" itself may be contributing to the problem, the stem cells seem to be "in the clear". The stem cells, through whatever means they have at their disposal, are apparently capable of staying rather perky. In terms of numbers, though, they do decrease, and I have no doubt that many enterprising investigators are going to start thinking about this issue.
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| "The study establishes that abundance of resident satellite cells declines with age in myofibers from both fast- and slow-twitch muscles. Nevertheless, the inherent myogenic potential of satellite cells does not diminish with age. Furthermore, the aging satellite cell niche retains the capacity to support effective myogenesis upon enrichment of the mitogenic milieu with FGF. Altogether, satellite cell abundance, but not myogenic potential, deteriorates with age. This study suggests that the population of satellite cells that participate in myofiber maintenance during routine muscle utilization is not fully replenished throughout life." - Developmental Biology Available online 22 March 2006 |
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