Muscle tissue is metabolically active, particularly following exercise, in ways that improve function in other tissues. As a class, molecules secreted by muscle cells that affect other tissues are called myokines, and are not presently fully mapped and understood. The research community is actively engaged in identifying myokines and myokine interactions that could be targets for novel therapies that mimic some of the benefits of exercise. Here, researchers show that increased levels of the myokine cathepsin B can reduce the loss of function in the brain that occurs in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease. Interestingly, this same treatment impairs cognitive function in normal mice, indicating that (a) there can be too much of this myokine in circulation…
The Myokine Cathepsin B Improves Cognitive Function in an Alzheimer's Mouse Model
Muscle tissue is metabolically active, particularly following exercise, in ways that improve function in other tissues. As a class, molecules secreted by muscle cells that affect other tissues are called myokines, and are not presently fully mapped and understood. The research community is actively engaged in identifying myokines and myokine interactions that could be targets for novel therapies that mimic some of the benefits of exercise. Here, researchers show that increased levels of the myokine cathepsin B can reduce the loss of function in the brain that occurs in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease. Interestingly, this same treatment impairs cognitive function in normal mice, indicating that (a) there can be too much of this myokine in circulation…