Understanding how aging affects muscle resilience to stress
Official title: Redox stress resilience in aging skeletal muscle
Funded at University of Washington · NIH-10722970 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study looks at how getting older affects our muscles and their ability to handle stress, focusing on a specific factor that might explain why older muscles don’t respond as well, and it’s designed for anyone interested in understanding muscle health as we age.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Washington NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Seattle, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2023 |
| Project end | August 31, 2025 |
| Funding year | 2023 |
| Award (this year) | $485,375 |
| NIH project number | 1R21AG083241-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-10722970 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are older adults experiencing a decline in muscle function or resilience.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are younger or do not have any issues related to muscle function or resilience may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates how aging impacts the ability of skeletal muscle to withstand stress. It focuses on the cellular mechanisms that lead to a decline in muscle function as people age, particularly how the body responds to stress signals. By studying the role of a specific transcription factor, Nrf2, the research aims to uncover why older muscles have a diminished response to stress and how this affects overall resilience. The approach involves using wild-type mice to explore these mechanisms in a controlled environment.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to new strategies for enhancing muscle resilience in older adults, potentially improving their overall health and functional status.
How similar studies have gone: Other research has shown promising results in understanding stress responses in aging, but this specific approach focusing on mitochondrial redox stress is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Washington
Seattle, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Marcinek, David J. — University of Washington
- Study coordinator: Marcinek, David J.
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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.