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Mitochondrial Inflammation and Muscle Aging: Targeting the Inflammatory Microenvironment in Sarcopenic Muscle
Xuesong Wang1,2,3, Shannah Erasmus1, Zewen Chu1
1Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200437, China.
Aging and Disease
|August 11, 2026
Summary
Chronic inflammation drives age-related sarcopenia (muscle loss). Exercise and anti-inflammatory therapies show promise for managing this condition by targeting cellular pathways and improving muscle health.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Muscle Physiology
- Immunology
Background:
- Sarcopenia is a progressive age-related skeletal muscle disorder.
- Chronic low-grade inflammation is a key contributor to sarcopenia pathogenesis.
- Inflammation creates a pathological cycle involving cellular senescence and mitochondrial dysfunction.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review molecular mechanisms of inflammation-driven sarcopenia.
- To examine exercise as a precision intervention for sarcopenia phenotypes.
- To evaluate anti-inflammatory therapeutic strategies for sarcopenia.
Main Methods:
- Literature review synthesizing evidence on inflammation and sarcopenia.
- Analysis of exercise interventions (resistance, aerobic, combined).
- Evaluation of therapeutic strategies (nutrition, pharmacotherapy, acupuncture).
Main Results:
- Inflammatory signaling disrupts skeletal muscle protein turnover and satellite cell metabolism.
- Exercise modulates senescence and inflammatory responses, tailored to sarcopenia phenotypes.
- Therapies restore immune balance, improve mitochondrial function, and clear senescent cells.
Conclusions:
- Inflammation is a central driver of sarcopenia, impacting muscle at molecular and cellular levels.
- Exercise and targeted anti-inflammatory therapies offer promising avenues for sarcopenia management.
- Precision medicine and multi-omics approaches may enable individualized sarcopenia care.
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