Researchers have identified a compound that dramatically amplifies the body's natural muscle-repair machinery, potentially offering a new strategy to fight age-related weakness and deterioration.
The discovery centers on hepatocyte growth factor, a protein that triggers skeletal muscle repair by activating satellite cells, the stem cells responsible for rebuilding damaged fibers. The trouble is that aging disrupts this process. A chemical modification called nitration damages HGF, essentially turning it into a rusted key that no longer fits its cellular lock.
Professor Ryuichi Tatsumi's team at Kyushu University's Faculty of Agriculture found that when they combined HGF with a compound called lipoic acid trisulfide, or LASSS, the protein's ability to bind to muscle cells more than doubled. The enhanced HGF also became far more resistant to the damaging nitration that occurs with age. The work was published July 24, 2026, in Scientific Reports.
"This exceeded our expectations," Tatsumi said. "We knew trisulfides had diverse biological functions, but we never expected that simply mixing HGF with LASSS would produce such a striking effect."
The team tested two sulfur-based antioxidants, GSSSG and LASSS, to see if they could protect HGF from nitration damage. Early results showed both compounds reduced nitration, but neither fully restored HGF's function. When the researchers increased the concentration of LASSS relative to HGF, something unexpected happened.
Rather than simply neutralizing harmful molecules, LASSS appeared to interact directly with HGF, subtly restructuring it into a more potent form. This "Super HGF" bound more strongly to its target receptor on muscle cells and resisted the chemical modifications that typically weaken it during aging.
GSSSG, the other compound tested, produced no comparable effect, suggesting the benefit was specific to LASSS's unique molecular properties.
To test whether the effect would work in living tissue, the researchers induced muscle atrophy in mice using tail suspension and treated some with LASSS beforehand. Mice that received LASSS showed significantly lower nitration levels compared to untreated controls. Again, GSSSG offered no measurable protection.
The findings suggest a possible path toward preserving muscle strength in aging, during prolonged bed rest, or in other conditions involving extended inactivity. Tatsumi's team believes the approach could work across multiple species, including humans, cats, and dogs.
The researchers acknowledge that further studies in aging animals will be necessary to confirm safety and effectiveness in living organisms before any potential clinical application.
Author Jessica Williams: "The real breakthrough here isn't just that they found an enhancement, it's that they cracked how it works, turning this from a curiosity into a potential therapy."
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