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US researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have unveiled a promising medicine compound, named SLU-PP-332, designed to replicate the benefits of exercise, offering hope to individuals with busy schedules or limited mobility.
The compound, currently undergoing testing in rodent cells, has demonstrated the ability to mirror exercise’s capacity to enhance muscle metabolism, growth, and performance, according to the researchers.
“We cannot replace exercise; exercise is important on all levels. If I can exercise, I should go ahead and get physical activity. But there are so many cases in which a substitute is needed,” stated Bahaa Elgendy, the project’s principal investigator and a Professor of Anesthesiology at the institution.
The potential pill holds promise not only for those unable to engage in regular physical activity but also for individuals facing muscle atrophy and other medical conditions, including heart failure and neurodegenerative diseases.
Moreover, the compound could counteract the adverse effects of certain medications, such as new weight-loss drugs that inadvertently lead to the loss of both fat and muscle, Elgendy explained.
The breakthrough revolves around the activation of specialised proteins called oestrogen-related receptors (ERRs), including ERR-alpha, ERR-beta, and ERR-gamma. Through their study involving approximately 15,000 genes in rat heart muscle cells, researchers found that SLU-PP-332 successfully activated all three forms of ERRs, particularly targeting ERR-alpha, which is known to be the most challenging.
Additionally, the new compounds demonstrated a significant increase in RNA presence, indicating heightened gene expression and suggesting a more potent simulation of exercise effects.
The findings of this groundbreaking research are being presented at the ongoing spring meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS), offering a glimpse into a potential future where exercise’s benefits can be harnessed through innovative pharmaceutical interventions.
