CMAR Enhancing Impact Research Fund - Unravelling the Role of Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Musculoskeletal Ageing

One undesirable characteristic of ageing is loss of muscle strength and mass, which is more pronounced in people with obesity than in lean people. A possible mechanism for a difference in muscle loss between lean and obese older adults is via extracellular vesicles (EVs), tiny particles which are released by the cells in your body and can enter other cells to cause effects. These effects can be positive or negative in different circumstances. Our research suggests that EVs from fat tissue of older adults with obesity contain and transport small pieces of protein and genetic information, known as cargo, that can actually be harmful to the muscle cells that they enter. In contrast, the EVs from fat tissue of lean, healthy older adults does not appear to be harmful to muscle. One reason for this could be that fat tissue is made up of lots of different types of cells, but obesity can cause shifts in the amount of each cell type. One cell type that is less prominent in obese fat tissue is ‘stem cells’. Stem cells within fat tissue are important because they have been shown to have protective effects, so the decrease in stem cells with obesity might explain the difference in the effect of the EVs released. The proposed study will begin to examine whether the negative effect of EVs in obesity can be counteracted by EVs specifically from stem cells. By understanding how these EVs work, and by investigating their cargo, we aim to find ways to improve muscle health, particularly in ageing and obesity. This research could eventually lead to therapies that help people stay strong and independent as they age.