Humans with function-disrupting variants in the myostatin gene (MSTN) have increased skeletal muscle mass and strength, and less adiposity - PubMed
3 hours ago
- #genetics
- #muscle growth
- #myostatin
- Humans with function-disrupting variants in the myostatin gene (MSTN) have increased skeletal muscle mass and strength, and less adiposity.
- Myostatin negatively regulates skeletal muscle size in multiple species, and myostatin blockade has been explored therapeutically to promote muscle growth in humans.
- A large multi-cohort genetic association analysis involving 1.1 million individuals examined the effects of MSTN mutations on body composition and cardiometabolic health.
- Carriers of function-disrupting MSTN variants showed decreased adiposity, increased lean mass, grip strength, and creatinine levels.
- Whole-body MRI data from UK Biobank, analyzed using deep learning, revealed that mutation carriers had increased muscle mass across multiple muscle groups, with some showing over 10% increase.
- Lifelong reduction in myostatin function enhances muscle size and strength while decreasing body adiposity, offering insights into the potential benefits and safety of long-term myostatin blockade.