Uncovering the biological mechanisms that drive sarcopenia and identifying promising targets for future therapies.
Theme Lead: Professor Yibin Wang, Duke-NUS
Co-Leads: Dr Hong Jing Han, Duke-NUS
Theme 3 investigates how and why sarcopenia develops at the biological level, translating discoveries from across MAGNET into potential therapeutic strategies.
Building on findings from the other themes, researchers will identify promising genes, metabolites and circulating factors associated with sarcopenia and determine how they contribute to muscle deterioration.
These candidates will first be investigated using laboratory-based cell models, before progressing to preclinical models to validate their roles in the development and progression of sarcopenia.
How changes in energy metabolism may drive sarcopenia
A major focus of Theme 3 is understanding how disruptions in muscle metabolism contribute to the development and progression of sarcopenia.
Understanding how muscles use fat for energy.
Researchers will investigate fatty acid oxidation — the process by which cells break down fats to produce energy — and examine how changes in this pathway contribute to sarcopenia arising from different causes.
Exploring whether metabolism can be reprogrammed.
The team will investigate whether reprogramming branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) metabolism can influence the development or progression of sarcopenia, helping determine whether this pathway could be targeted therapeutically.
From understanding what drives sarcopenia to identifying where we can intervene.
Together, these studies will help determine which of the biological mechanisms identified through MAGNET actively contribute to sarcopenia, rather than simply being associated with the disease.
By validating the most promising mechanisms and metabolic pathways, Theme 3 aims to identify potential therapeutic targets that could form the foundation for future treatments.
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