[phil442]

I am pretty much of a lurker but I thought the individuals of this forum would be interested in the following research article.  http://www.pnas.org/cgi/content/full/102/50/18117
The paper refers to research on a muscle size controlling compound refered to as Myostatin.  By blocking the Myostatin the researches have been able to increase muscle mass in mice up to 60%.  There is also a reference in the article that this may be more effective in females.  It is an interesting though that within our life time (for most of us I hope) we may have the chance to stand next to a 300lb or more heavy muscled female.  What will Tigersan create then?

[whitemott2004]

The article is a little old.  The researchers at John Hopkins exceeded these results with some other experiments on similar theories but different compounds.  I think you may find that article on NPR in November/December 2006.

[phil442]

I am no scientist and just happen to come across the article when trying to find the results of the Myo-029 testing.  I would like to see what new advance have been made but do not know what NPR stands for?  Any further clues?

[Vic]

National Public Radio?

[whitemott2004]

Yes.  National Public Radio.

[cpbell0033944]

Might I, as a Biologist, step in here?
Myostatin is a regulatory protein manufactured by the body to limit muscle growth; in other words, it stops it from growing in an uncontrolled, runaway fashion.  I actually did my 3rd-year Undergraduate resarch project on another, related signalling protein in the same (TGF-Beta) family as myostatin.  This team has, apparently found that an injected form of the cell-surface receptor for another developmental (growth) protein called activin "mops-up" the myostatin molecule, which blocks or reduces the strength of the signal it imparts, which is "stop growing muscle".  In normal circumstances, myostatin and other signalling proteins that increase muscle growth will work in harmony to provide the right amount of muscle tissue; however in genetic diseases and conditions where muscle growth is impeded by other means, lifting the myostatin restriction on muscle growth would help bring the muscularity up o normal levels.

We must, however, be careful about removing restrictions on muscle growth in healthy individuals for aesthetic or commercial reasons.  A similar regulatory mechanism which controls the rate of normal cell division, when disrupted by mutation, can often lead to fatal cancers, as cells in a particular body tissue keep multiplying indefinitely.  I doubt this would be the case here, but removing one part of a complex signalling network could have unforeseen effects that may be dangerous.  I've only as yet read the abstract to this paper, but I think there's a LONG way to go (if it ever happens) before myostatin pathway inhibition could become a commercially-available treatment for those wanting to increase muscularity.

[Fett]

My cat's breath smells like cat food.

[cpbell0033944]

My cat's breath smells like cat food.

Er, 'scuse me Mr Fett, have the high winds we've had in the UK done something to you!? ;D
I haven't got a clue what you're on about, sorry! :-[ ???
I hope you good folks here don't think I was being presumptuous or arrogant in what I wrote – I just thought I might be able to offer an jargon-free synopsis of the paper's abstract, which is the summary of the rest of the paper for those scientists who don't have time to read the whole thing but who want to know the essential theory behind the research and conclusions the paper draws.
<<Quietly leaves via back door, embarrassed.>>

[TC2]

Oh dude, for cying out loud it was just a joke.  Fett is always like that, don't take everything so seriously.  Of course if you've got autism well then not much you can do about that, but anyway it's just a joke and the article is fine.

[The Muffin man]

Oh dude, for cying out loud it was just a joke.  Fett is always like that, don't take everything so seriously.  Of course if you've got autism well then not much you can do about that, but anyway it's just a joke and the article is fine.

Autism generally means a person cannot function as well socially.
😛 Feeling bad they don't know what you're talking about is decent social attitude, if not a bit worrisome.

But yeah Fett was making a Simpsons joke. Lisa and her new friend discuss something with Ralph Wiggum, who has no idea what they must said and responds with "My cats breath smells like cat food."

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