Key Points:
- A common diabetes drug also appears to prevent muscle atrophy in older patients.
- The researchers tied this finding to the drug’s ability to target “zombie-like cells.”
- This is the first paper that has made the direct connection between a therapy targeting cellular senescence and improved muscle recovery following disuse in aging.
A common diabetes drug that regulates blood sugar can also prevent muscle atrophy and muscular fibrosis, which can help the elderly bounce back faster from injury or illness.
University of Utah Health researchers have discovered that the drug Metformin has surprising applications on a cellular level. It can target “zombie-like cells,” called senescent cells, which impact muscle function. Senescent cells secrete factors associated with inflammation that may underlie fibrotic tissue, a hardening or scarring of tissues. Metformin also reduces muscle atrophy.
To test the intervention in humans, the team recruited 20 healthy male and female older adults for a multi-week study. Participants underwent a muscle biopsy and MRI before the intervention, which involved five days of bed rest. One group of 10 received Metformin and the other 10 received placebo pills during a two-week run-in period, then each group continued the placebo or Metformin treatment during bed rest. After the bed rest, participants received another muscle biopsy and MRI, then ceased treatments. All patients completed a 7-day re-ambulation period followed by a final muscle biopsy.
According to the study results, participants that took Metformin during bed rest had less muscle atrophy. During the recovery period, their muscles also had less fibrosis or excessive collagen. That build-up can make it harder for the muscle to properly function. Examining muscle biopsies from study participants, team also found that the participants who took Metformin had fewer markers of cellular senescence.
“This is the first paper that has made the direct connection between a therapy targeting cellular senescence and improved muscle recovery following disuse in aging,” said lead author Jonathan Petrocelli.
Next, the team plans to combine Metformin with leucine, an amino acid that promotes growth and could accelerate recovery even further. They’ve already demonstrated the potency of this combination in preclinical animal studies.