A newly discovered mechanism in the cell's energy factory could lead to a new treatment for muscle disorders

While it is known that physical exercise is good for us, many of the underlying molecular mechanisms remain to be determined. Now researchers from the University of Copenhagen have produced new knowledge that will help us understand the health effects of physical exercise – and perhaps pave the way for a new treatment for many diseases that affect muscles.

“We have identified a new and important mechanism for energy production in muscle cells and shown that it is activated by physical exercise – regardless of age, gender and health status,” says Associate Professor Leke Silo from the Department of Biomedical Sciences. Who is the corresponding author of the new study?

In the study, the researchers demonstrated that a specific protein plays a key role in the energy production that occurs in the cells' energy factory, the mitochondria. They were surprised to discover that through fitness training (so-called aerobic exercise), it is actually possible to circumvent the role of this protein in energy production. The study's first author, Tang Kam Phuong Pham, explains:

“Our research shows that exercise can counteract genetic errors in muscle energy production. If this protein is missing, exercise can activate alternative processes that reconfigure muscle energy capacity and circumvent the genetic error. This is very interesting, because it shows how beneficial exercise can be.” “It is to overcome genetic errors.”

The possibility of developing new treatments

Researchers still don't know exactly how exercise overcomes this process, but their discovery may help pave the way for new treatment options for a number of disorders that affect muscles. Their discovery may make it possible to develop a drug that mimics the health benefits of physical exercise in people who are unable to exercise, explains Lykke Sylow:

“It opens the possibility of developing new treatments for more than 200 different disorders related to defects in energy production in muscle. This includes rare genetic mitochondrial disorders as well as more common diseases such as diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease and neurodegenerative disorders – in which lower muscle function is associated with increased mortality.”

Although loss of muscle mass is normal, it can be fatal in some patient groups, including cancer patients.

“When cancer patients lose muscle mass, they may not be able to get the best treatment available. This may prevent them from getting optimal chemotherapy to kill the tumor, because the treatment is too toxic for patients who do not have enough muscle mass.” “So there is a strong relationship between muscle mass and physical activity, on the one hand, and the chance of surviving cancer, on the other hand,” says Lykke Sylow and adds:

“But if we can increase patients’ muscle mass, even just a little, when they enter cancer treatment, it could make the difference between life and death for some people.”

May improve quality of life

The newly discovered protein vital to the mitochondrial machinery is known as SLIRP.

In the study, the researchers also demonstrated that SLIRP stabilizes genes found in mitochondria. Among other things, SLIRP is responsible for translating so-called mRNA into proteins necessary for healthy, energy-producing mitochondria. If SLIRP is missing, mitochondria are damaged and will not be able to produce sufficient energy. This is a process that physical exercise can help circumvent.

Lykke Sylow stresses that we won't get pills that have the same positive effect of exercise in the near future, but this new knowledge brings researchers one step closer to developing drugs that target mitochondria, mimicking some of the health benefits of exercise. Physical exercise. This can make a big difference.

“Physical exercise is muscle magic. While most of us find it difficult to get off the couch and exercise, it's even more difficult if you're sick. So it would be amazing if we could make some of this muscle magic happen without exercise.” Exercise, which leads to improved quality of life and health for many patients,” concludes Lykke Sylow.