Key points from article :
Protein CaMKII has been shown to improve muscle strength and fitness through a chemical reaction known as oxidation.
Aging-related oxidative stress leads to excessive activation of CaMKII, leading to tissue damage.
A study of mice with oxidized CaMKII showed better physical performance, compared to genetically modified ones with oxidation-resistant CaMKII.
However, a biopsy of the muscle tissue showed an increased expression of pathways related to inflammation, diabetes, seizure, and obesity.
In a similar experiment, fruitflies were genetically modified by inserting an oxidation site into their CaMKII gene using CRISPR.
Despite having better physical performance, genetically modified flies died at a younger age- Dr. Wang, co-lead.
Treatments designed to specifically target gene regulators such as CaMKII may work better to combat age-related illnesses.
Study by Johns Hopkins School of Medicine published in Nature Communications.
