Oxidized lipids causing muscle loss and weakness in aging
Official title: A novel role for oxidized lipid mediators as effectors of muscle atrophy and weakness in aging
Funded at Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation · NIH-11112359 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are looking at whether oxidized fat molecules that build up in aging muscles cause muscle wasting and weakness in older adults.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Oklahoma City, United States) |
| Project start | September 30, 2022 |
| Project end | May 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $535,985 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AG077812-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11112359 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates would be older adults with age-related muscle loss or weakness (sarcopenia), especially those willing to provide samples or take part in follow-up clinical work.
✕Less likely to help
People whose muscle problems are due mainly to acute injuries, congenital muscle diseases, or non–age-related causes may not benefit from this specific research.
What this research studies
This work looks at whether damaged fat-derived molecules that appear in aging muscle drive nerves to disconnect and cause muscles to shrink and weaken. The team uses laboratory models (including mice) to mimic nerve loss and then measures muscle strength, cell damage, and molecular changes. They block enzymes that make these oxidized lipids or use drugs that neutralize them to see if muscle wasting can be prevented. The goal is to define how these lipids harm muscle so future treatments can target those steps.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could point to new drug targets or therapies to prevent or slow age-related muscle loss and weakness.
How similar studies have gone: Preclinical animal studies show that blocking enzymes that generate oxidized lipids or scavenging lipid peroxides can reduce muscle loss, but these approaches have not been proven in humans yet.
Where this research is happening
-
Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation
Oklahoma City, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Humphries, Kenneth M — Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation
- Study coordinator: Humphries, Kenneth M
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Oxidized lipids driving aging-related muscle loss
This project explores how certain lipid molecules that are damaged or modified over time contribute to muscle weakness and loss in older adults, with the goal of identifying new ways to prevent sarcopenia.
-
Understanding how mitochondrial issues lead to muscle loss as we age.
This study looks at how problems with tiny energy factories in our muscles, called mitochondria, can lead to muscle loss and weakness as we get older, using special mice to help understand these changes better.
-
A new oral treatment to prevent and reverse muscle loss in older adults
This study is testing a new oral medication designed to help older adults keep their muscles strong and healthy, especially if they’ve been less active due to things like being in bed or not moving much.
-
Aging Well with HIV: Alcohol, Risk Reduction, and Education Center (AWAR3E)
A center at Yale is exploring how aging with HIV interacts with alcohol use to create inflammation and frailty, with the goal of finding biomarkers and potential treatments.
-
Cognitive SuperAging: Exploring why some octogenarians stay sharp in memory
This NIH grant studies why a small group of people aged 80+ keep memory skills as good as much younger people, hoping to understand how to protect memory as we age.
-
Biological aging across the lifespan through a national high school-to-adult study
This grant uses a long-running national study of students and adults to collect saliva biomarkers of aging, alongside surveys, to understand how aging markers relate to health and life experiences.
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.