Penn State grants $2 million for research to prevent muscle wasting

Muscle wasting due to aging, cancer, and other chronic diseases can severely impact people's health and well-being, but there are currently no effective treatments to prevent or reverse muscle wasting

In a new research project, Penn State researchers will investigate potential ways to stimulate muscles to make more ribosomes

"Muscle loss is part of the aging process," said the study's lead investigator, Gustavo Nader, associate professor of kinesiology and physiology

A $2 million grant from the National Institute of Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), which the NIH will help fund the research

"In order to grow, the muscle needs to make new ribosomes, and when this process is disrupted, the muscle shrinks," Nader said

Nader continued that once the team finds a way to prevent muscle wasting, it may help people stay healthy and maintain an active life>

A recent study by Nader also found that not just cancer, but common cancer treatments can also lead to muscle wasting

The new NIH-funded project seeks to find molecular targets that can then be used to stimulate the production of new ribosomes for muscle growth

Specifically, the researchers will study a molecular switch that allows muscles to produce ribosomes without exercise or any drugs

NIH grant AR078430 will support this research