Characterization and prevention of microgravity-induced atrophy of muscle cells
Class
Article
Department
Biological and Irrigation Engineering
Presentation Type
Poster Presentation
Abstract
Muscular atrophy due to disuse is a serious issue for immobilized patients on Earth and in human spaceflight, where microgravity prevents normal muscle loading. Defined as the loss of muscle tissue, muscular atrophy involves a wide variety of factors including apoptosis-inducing factor, reactive oxygen species, and N-linked glycans. The specific factors involved depend on the atrophy type, such as denervation, disuse, or muscular disease. Reducing microgravity-induced atrophy would have far-reaching benefits not limited to astronauts and space flight. Those suffering from immobilization due to aging, bone fractures, and comas would benefit from maintaining muscle mass in the absence of normal stimulation. While the cellular mechanisms behind muscular dystrophy and denervation injuries differ from those involved in disuse atrophy, a comprehensive treatment that inhibits myocyte apoptosis and promotes new growth could still alleviate some symptoms. Further uses extend past the clinical realm and into muscular enhancement for athletes and soldiers. I aim to determine which atrophy-inducing factors are released due to microgravity, how to inhibit those factors, and how to promote new muscle growth without mechanical stimuli. I hypothesize that comprehensive prevention of microgravity-induced atrophy will need to inhibit myocyte apoptosis as well as promote new growth via supplementation of factors typically released during mechanical stimulation.
Start Date
4-9-2015 12:00 PM
Characterization and prevention of microgravity-induced atrophy of muscle cells
Muscular atrophy due to disuse is a serious issue for immobilized patients on Earth and in human spaceflight, where microgravity prevents normal muscle loading. Defined as the loss of muscle tissue, muscular atrophy involves a wide variety of factors including apoptosis-inducing factor, reactive oxygen species, and N-linked glycans. The specific factors involved depend on the atrophy type, such as denervation, disuse, or muscular disease. Reducing microgravity-induced atrophy would have far-reaching benefits not limited to astronauts and space flight. Those suffering from immobilization due to aging, bone fractures, and comas would benefit from maintaining muscle mass in the absence of normal stimulation. While the cellular mechanisms behind muscular dystrophy and denervation injuries differ from those involved in disuse atrophy, a comprehensive treatment that inhibits myocyte apoptosis and promotes new growth could still alleviate some symptoms. Further uses extend past the clinical realm and into muscular enhancement for athletes and soldiers. I aim to determine which atrophy-inducing factors are released due to microgravity, how to inhibit those factors, and how to promote new muscle growth without mechanical stimuli. I hypothesize that comprehensive prevention of microgravity-induced atrophy will need to inhibit myocyte apoptosis as well as promote new growth via supplementation of factors typically released during mechanical stimulation.