Researchers from Nottingham Trent University have discovered that muscle cells deteriorate with age, affecting their regenerative ability and recovery after injury. The researchers analyzed the genes inside muscle cells and found that the “development pathways,” which are the ways in which genes work together to regenerate muscle, become weakened in older cells.

Lead researcher Dr. Livia Santos explained that muscle injuries take longer to recover as we age because aging impairs the regeneration potential of healthy muscle. The pathways that control cell processes and development work differently in older cells and are downregulated, impacting the regeneration ability. Understanding these pathways could potentially lead to new therapies and interventions to address the issue.

The researchers developed a new approach to examine muscle cells in the laboratory and observed the different mechanisms that drive muscle aging. They studied muscle cells from donors and assessed how they healed and regenerated after being chemically injured. When comparing cells from a 20-year-old donor to cells from a 68-year-old donor, the team found distinct differences in the development pathways. Younger muscle cells fully recovered from the injury, while older cells expressed fewer genes needed for regeneration, leading to reduced regeneration capacity and thinner, less robust muscle fibers.

Janelle Tarum, another researcher involved in the study, highlighted the importance of their work in examining muscle cell regeneration across the lifespan. This understanding could be crucial for future drug discovery and the treatment of diseases related to muscle aging.

The study was published in the Journal of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine and involved researchers from Manchester Metropolitan University and Liverpool John Moores University.