How insulin controls muscle autophagy and muscle maintenance
Characterization of the Insulin to Autophagy Pathway in Muscles
['FUNDING_R01'] · HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL · NIH-11293736
This work looks at how insulin signaling and phosphate levels change the cell 'self-cleaning' process in muscles to better understand muscle loss with aging or illness.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_R01'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (BOSTON, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11293736 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
If you are concerned about losing muscle with age or illness, this project uses fruit flies to learn how insulin-related signals control autophagy, the process cells use to recycle proteins. The team manipulates genes and nutrients in fly muscle to measure autophagy, proteasome activity, and muscle size, focusing on pathways such as AKT and mTORC1. Results are interpreted with the goal of linking these basic mechanisms to human conditions like sarcopenia and cancer-related cachexia.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People most relevant would include older adults with progressive muscle loss (sarcopenia) or patients experiencing disease-related cachexia who might be candidates for future clinical approaches based on these findings.
Not a fit: People without muscle-wasting conditions or whose muscle loss is driven primarily by nerve injury rather than changes in protein turnover may not benefit from this line of research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could point to molecular targets or strategies to prevent or slow age- and disease-related muscle wasting.
How similar studies have performed: Previous studies in fruit flies and other models have mapped autophagy and proteasome pathways and provided mechanistic leads, but direct treatments for sarcopenia or cachexia based on these findings are not yet established.
Where this research is happening
BOSTON, UNITED STATES
- HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL — BOSTON, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: PERRIMON, NORBERT — HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL
- Study coordinator: PERRIMON, NORBERT
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.