Myostatin antibody

[joe_garibaldi]

Myostatin (GDF8) is a glycoprotein that inbiits the growth of skeletal muscle. When it's absent because of genetic mutations, animals and people grow fantasic musculature; recently there was a story about a 4 year old boy with the mutation who could lift 7 lbs weights over his head and the mutation has been found to cause extreme muscular hypertrophy in other species (dogs for instance) also possessing the mutation (no myostatin gene). Some recent research has focused on myostatin inhibition but mostly in animal models of muscular dystrophy (i.e.- the mdx mouse) but I also found one recent article showing it could be effective in normal chickens in producing muscle hypertrophy. So, an antibody to the protein is available commercially (GenTex Inc.) Catalog number GTX20996 at $215 per vial. Apparently its delivered at 4 degrees C in a Tris-citrate buffer; dont think it could be used directly out of the bottle in people. I wonder if anyone has contemplated using any of this stuff.

 

[st8grad]

Is this allowed?

 

[hard2handle]

bump

 

[Nathan]

That's an interesting idea and I think you are going to be hearing a lot more about products trying to inhibit the myostatin gene. However, I'm guessing it'll be a while before anyone can do anything like that. It'll be interesting ocne they do, however my guess is whoever ends up taking that route to hypertrophy will also end up with whatever problems cause that 4 year old and those jacked dogs to not live as long as they otherwise would.

 

[DJ_UFO]

Nobody has ever answered my question from years ago. What are the effects of the inhibition of myostatin in internal organs like heart, lungs, bowels? one thing is injecting rats who live what 2 years? and another thing is injecting humans who live 80+ years. I don't wanna end carrying my heart ouside my chest in a special 5'x5' cage

 

[samoth]

Nobody has ever answered my question from years ago. What are the effects of the inhibition of myostatin in internal organs like heart, lungs, bowels? one thing is injecting rats who live what 2 years? and another thing is injecting humans who live 80+ years. I don't wanna end carrying my heart ouside my chest in a special 5'x5' cage

Excellent questions.