Proteins used to map the aging process

June 19, 2011 in Medical research

Loss of muscle mass is not only associated with disease, such as HIV and cancer, but also with the normal aging process. Anabolic steroids are sometimes used to reverse loss of lean muscle tissue but they can have unwanted side effects. New research, published in BioMed Central's open access journal Immunity and Aging, shows that nine proteins, isolated from blood, alter with age and that the profile of some of these proteins can be reversed by testosterone treatment.

In a combined study, researchers from Boston University School of Medicine and University of Texas Medical Branch compared in serum samples from two groups of healthy men - young men aged 18-35 and older men aged 60-75. Seven proteins, which were either (IGF-1, IL-7, IL-12p40, PDGFβ), or were involved in immune response (ENA78, MIP-1β, IP-10), and pro-collagen (PIIINP) were all reduced in older men. In contrast the monokine MIG, also involved in immune activity, was elevated.

Testosterone treatment increased lean muscle mass, and levels of the appetite suppressing hormone leptin, for both groups of men. Testosterone also increased levels of PIIINP and IGF-1 in young men and the researchers saw a similar increase in a small group of older men.

Dr Monty Montano said, "The blood proteins we found that altered with healthy aging also have links to maintenance of muscle, such as IGF-1 and pro-collagen, or are involved in regulation of the immune system, possibly reducing T-cell and neutrophil responses with age. Additionally all of the proteins we found are involved with the signaling pathways controlled by AKT, NFκβ and TGFβ which are known to be associated with aging."

Dr Montano continued, "It is no simple matter to find a one size fits all test for aging – our results suggest that there is a difference in response to anabolic steroids between young and older men, despite both groups increasing in . It seems that testosterone replacement does not necessarily mean a restoration of full testosterone functionality for the older man."

More information: Identification of serum biomarkers for aging and anabolic response, Camellia Banerjee, Jagadish Ulloor, Edgar L Dillon, Qusai Dahodwala, Brittani Franklin, Paola Sebastiani, Melinda Sheffield-Moore, Randall J Urban, Shalender Bhasin and Monty Montano, Immunity & Ageing (in press) www.immunityageing.com/

Provided by BioMed Central search and more info website

5 /5 (1 vote)  

Rank 5 /5 (1 vote)
Relevant PhysicsForums posts

More news stories

Now we know why old scizophrenia medicine works on antibiotics-resistant bacteria

In 2008 researchers from the University of Southern Denmark showed that the drug thioridazine, which has previously been used to treat schizophrenia, is also a powerful weapon against antibiotic-resistant bacteria such as ...

Medical research created 9 hours ago | popularity 3.7 / 5 (3) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

SUMO wrestling cells reveal new protective mechanism target for stroke

Scientists investigating the interaction of a group of proteins in the brain responsible for protecting nerve cells from damage have identified a new target that could increase cell survival.

Medical research created 14 hours ago | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

How serotonin receptors can shape drug effects, from LSD to migraine medication

New findings by researchers carrying out experiments at the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science's Advanced Photon Source (APS) help explain why some drugs that interact with two kinds of human serotonin ...

Medical research created 16 hours ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Preventing blood poisoning

Peptide molecules derived from the body's natural immune system can help boost the body's defence against life-threatening blood poisoning, joint University research has uncovered.

Medical research created 17 hours ago | popularity 4 / 5 (1) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

New mechanism to prevent type 2 diabetes in obese individuals

A new Montréal study conducted by Dr. May Faraj, associate research professor at the Université de Montréal and invited scientist at the IRCM, along with her research team and medical collaborators, shows ...

Medical research created 17 hours ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0 | with audio podcast


For combat veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, 'fear circuitry' in the brain never rests

Chronic trauma can inflict lasting damage to brain regions associated with fear and anxiety. Previous imaging studies of people with post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, have shown that these brain regions can over-or ...

Flesh-eating disease victim gets prosthetic hands

(AP)—A woman who lost both hands, her left leg and right foot after contracting a flesh-eating disease has been fitted with prosthetic hands.

Temporal processing in the olfactory system

The neural machinery underlying our olfactory sense continues to be an enigma for neuroscience. A recent review in Neuron seeks to expand traditional ideas about how neurons in the olfactory bulb might encode information about ...

Melon focus headband turns to Kickstarter for rollout plans

(Medical Xpress)—What if the quality of your work depends more on your focus on the piano keys or canvas or laptop than your musical or painting or computing skills? If target users can be convinced, they ...

College women exceed NIAAA drinking guidelines more frequently than college men

In order to avoid harms associated with alcohol consumption, in 2009 the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism issued guidelines that define low-risk drinking. These guidelines differ for men and women: no more ...

Study identifies new approach to improving treatment for MS and other conditions

(Medical Xpress)—Working with lab mice models of multiple sclerosis (MS), UC Davis scientists have detected a novel molecular target for the design of drugs that could be safer and more effective than current FDA-approved ...