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From left to right, David Sebastian, Antonio Zorzano and Marc Beltrà. Image: IRB Barcelona.
 23.04.2024

New way to combat muscle loss during ageing

A study is co-led by IRB Barcelona researcher, Antonio Zorzano, and David Sebastián, professor at the UB’s Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, reveals that the TP53INP2 could be key in the fight against sarcopenia, because high levels  of this protein are associated with increased muscle strength and healthier ageing in humans. The study, published in the journal Autophagy, has carried out in collaboration with the Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, not only opens up new avenues of research in the field of ageing, but also suggests possible interventions to significantly improve the quality of life of the elderly.

Sarcopenia is a common disorder in older people, characterized by progressive loss of muscle mass and function, a condition that can significantly affect quality of life and increase the risk of falls, injury and dependency. Research into this physiological process is essential to develop effective strategies to enable the population to age in a healthy way.

The loss of muscle mass typically begins to manifest itself from the age of 55, and negatively impacts people’s functionality and health.

Now, an extensive study carried out by the IRB Barcelona, the University of Barcelona and the Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, has identified the critical role of the TP53INP2 protein as a regulator of autophagy, a cellular process essential for removing altered proteins and cellular organelles to preserve muscle mass and function.

The research suggest that promoting TP53INP2 activity — and thus autophagy in muscle — could be an effective strategy to combat sarcopenia and promote more active and healthy ageing. In other human studies, high levels of TP53INP2 were associated with greater strength and better physical exercise, highlighting its potential as an indicator of healthy ageing.

“This study not only highlights the importance of keeping autophagy active in muscles to prevent muscle mass loss, but also gives us hope for possible treatments that could improve, or mitigate, the effects of ageing on our muscles”, explains Dr. Antonio Zorzano, head of the Complex Metabolic Diseases and Mitochondria Lab at IRB Barcelona, professor at the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biomedicine at the UB’s Faculty of Biology and member of the Centre for Biomedical Research Network on Diabetes and Associated Metabolic Diseases (CIBERDEM).

“In addition, activation of autophagy through the TP53INP2 protein improved the quality of mitochondria, cell organelles that are essential for generating energy. In previous studies, we had already shown that this process is altered during ageing,” says Prof. David Sebastián, member of the Department of Biochemistry and Physiology at the UB’s Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, and CIBERDEM.

The collaboration with the Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu has been essential to gain access to biological samples from well-characterised patients, which has allowed the researchers to determine the association between muscle expression of TP53INP2 and healthy ageing in humans. This breakthrough not only opens up new avenues of research in the field of ageing, but also suggests possible interventions to significantly improve the quality of life of the elderly, helping them to maintain their independence and vitality.

» Reference article: Sebastián, David; Beltrà, Marc; Irazoki, Andrea; Sala, David; Aparicio, Pilar; Aris, Cecilia; Alibakhshi, Esmaeli; Rubio-Valera, Maria; Palacín, Manuel;  Castellanos, Juan; Lores, Luis; Zorzano, Antonio. “TP53INP2-dependent activation of muscle autophagy ameliorates sarcopenia and promotes healthy aging”.  Autophagy,març de 2024. Doi: 10.1080/15548627.2024.2333717.

» Link t the news: IRB Barcelona website [+]