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Updated: May 10, 2026

Preparation and Culture of Myogenic Precursor Cells/Primary Myoblasts from Skeletal Muscle of Adult and Aged Humans
Published on: February 16, 2017
The influence of skeletal muscle on systemic aging and lifespan
Fabio Demontis1, Rosanna Piccirillo, Alfred L Goldberg
1Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA; Division of Developmental Biology, Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA.
Abstract:
Epidemiological studies in humans suggest that skeletal muscle aging is a risk factor for the development of several age-related diseases such as metabolic syndrome, cancer, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. Here, we review recent studies in mammals and Drosophila highlighting how nutrient- and stress-sensing in skeletal muscle can influence lifespan and overall aging of the organism. In addition to exercise and indirect effects of muscle metabolism, growing evidence suggests that muscle-derived growth factors and cytokines, known as myokines, modulate systemic physiology. Myokines may influence the progression of age-related diseases and contribute to the intertissue communication that underlies systemic aging.
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