Exercise-induced protein revives aging muscles and bones

Discovery and functional characterization of the myokine CLCF1, which decreases with aging but is secreted through exercise to prevent musculoskeletal aging

2025-06-20

(Press-News.org) “Exercise is good for your health” is a well-known phrase, but few people can clearly explain how and why it benefits the human body.”

A joint research team, led by Dr. Yong Ryoul Yang of the Aging Convergence Research Group at the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB, President: Seok-Yoon Kwon) and Professor Nak-Sung Kim of Chonnam National University, has discovered a key protein, CLCF1 (cardiotrophin-like cytokine factor 1), that plays a central role in mediating the health benefits of physical activity.

The team found that CLCF1 is secreted by muscles during exercise, where it helps strengthen both muscles and bones, thereby suppressing musculoskeletal aging.

To understand how CLCF1 changes in response to exercise and aging, the researchers divided participants into young and elderly groups and monitored changes in blood CLCF1 levels after exercise. Interestingly, CLCF1 levels increased markedly after a single exercise session in the younger group, whereas in older adults, the protein only increased after over 12 weeks of continuous exercise.

The team also conducted experiments on aged mice. When CLCF1 was administered to elderly mice, they showed improved muscle strength and increased bone density. In contrast, blocking the action of CLCF1 made exercise ineffective, confirming that this protein is essential for the beneficial effects of exercise.

Further analysis showed that CLCF1 enhances mitochondrial function in muscle cells, inhibits the formation of bone-resorbing osteoclasts, and promotes the differentiation of bone-forming osteoblasts. This is the first scientific evidence identifying changes in protein secretion as a major reason for the reduced efficacy of exercise in aging individuals.

Dr. Yong Ryoul Yang from kribb said, “This research provides a biological basis for why exercise becomes less effective with age, and it lays the groundwork for developing new therapeutic strategies for healthy aging. In particular, the findings offer new directions for treating age-related sarcopenia and osteoporosis.”

Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB) is a leading national research institute in South Korea dedicated to cutting-edge research in biotechnology and life sciences. Established in 1985, KRIBB focuses on advancing scientific knowledge in areas such as molecular biology, genomics, bioinformatics, synthetic biology, and aging-related studies. As a government-funded institute, KRIBB plays a pivotal role in driving innovation, supporting national R&D strategies, and collaborating with academic and industrial partners both domestically and internationally.

This research was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) Individual Basic Science Program, the Regional Science & Technology Innovation Project, the Convergence Research Program of NST, and KRIBB’s core R&D program.

The study was published in the May 22, 2025 online edition of Nature Communications (IF 14.7), under the title: “Exercise-induced CLCF1 attenuates age-related muscle and bone decline in mice”

(Corresponding Authors: [KRIBB] Dr. Yong Ryoul Yang, Dr. Ki Sun Kwon, [Chungnam National University] Prof. Nack sung Kim

First Authors: [KRIBB] Dr. Jae Sook Kang, Min Ju Kim [UST], [Chungnam National University] Jung Ha Kim

END

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

American College of Cardiology issues guidance on weight management drugs

2025-06-20

The American College of Cardiology has issued a Concise Clinical Guidance (CCG) document to aid clinicians in the use of medication for weight management in patients where treatment may provide cardiovascular benefit. Obesity is a chronic, progressive disease that affects over 1 billion people worldwide. It can lead to devastating cardiovascular complications, including increased risk of heart failure, coronary artery disease and stroke. It is also associated with a significant reduction in life expectancy (9.1 years ...

Understanding the effect of bedding on thermal insulation during sleep

2025-06-20

The temperature of our sleeping environment has a major impact on the quality of our sleep, and good sleep is essential for our overall health and well-being. The bedding micro-environment is a key factor in maintaining thermally comfortable conditions for sleep. This includes the ambient temperature, humidity, the heat generated by the human body, and the thermal insulation provided by bedding like quilts, blankets, sheets, etc. In particular, the total thermal insulation, or the ability of the bedding systems to resist heat flow, ...

Cosmic signal from the very early universe will help astronomers detect the first stars

2025-06-20

Understanding how the universe transitioned from darkness to light with the formation of the first stars and galaxies is a key turning point in the universe’s development, known as the Cosmic Dawn. However, even with the most powerful telescopes, we can’t directly observe these earliest stars, so determining their properties is one of the biggest challenges in astronomy. Now, an international group of astronomers led by the University of Cambridge have shown that we will be able to learn about the masses ...

With AI, researchers find increasing immune evasion in H5N1

2025-06-20

Highlights: H5N1 avian influenza virus has been found in mammals and birds, and 1 person in the U.S. has died from an infection. New work suggests that the virus is evolving new ways to evade human immune defenses. Using artificial intelligence and physics-based modeling, the researchers found weakening binding between defensive antibodies and viral proteins. The work shows how AI may help researchers understand how the virus is evolving and look for new antibodies or other therapeutic interventions. Los Angeles, Calif.—The H5N1 avian influenza virus has infected birds and mammals around ...

Study finds hidden effects of wildfires on water systems

2025-06-20

Highlights: Wildfires disrupt microbial communities on land, but also alter aquatic systems when dissolved organic matter on burnt lands is carried into rivers, lakes or drinking water supplies. In a new study, researchers found that the impact of wildfires on water systems could lead to nutrient imbalances, depleting oxygen levels or harmful algal blooms. More complex treatment methods may be needed to ensure impacted water is safe for consumption or recreation. Los Angeles, Calif.—Wildfires profoundly influence the unseen microbial world within our waters, directly impacting water quality and ecosystem health, according to a new study ...

Airborne fungal spores may help predict COVID-19 & flu surges

2025-06-20

Highlights: A new study identified that increased levels of fungal spores in the air were strongly linked to surges in cases of influenza and COVID-19. Monitoring airborne fungal spores could help predict surges of respiratory virus infections, providing an early warning system to public health systems. Los Angeles, Calif.—Monitoring fungal spores in the outdoor air can predict surges in flu and COVID-19 infections, especially during the fall, according to a new study. The study is presented at ASM Microbe ...

Study shows tissues’ pliability depends on watery fluid between cells

2025-06-20

Water makes up around 60 percent of the human body. More than half of this water sloshes around inside the cells that make up organs and tissues. Much of the remaining water flows in the nooks and crannies between cells, much like seawater between grains of sand. Now, MIT engineers have found that this “intercellular” fluid plays a major role in how tissues respond when squeezed, pressed, or physically deformed. Their findings could help scientists understand how cells, tissues, and organs ...

Interfacial polymer cross-linking strategy enables ultra-thin polymeric membranes for fast and selective ion transport

2025-06-20

Polymeric membranes are widely used in separation technologies due to their low cost and easily scalable fabrication. However, unlike inorganic nanoporous materials such as metal-organic frameworks and covalent organic frameworks, which feature periodic and ordered channels, polymeric membranes produced through traditional methods—such as phase separation—typically have irregular and disordered pore structures. This structural limitation makes it difficult to accurately separate ions or molecules ...

A leap in canine medicine: Method for reproducible mesenchymal stem cells found

2025-06-20

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), which can be harvested from fat and bone marrow, have immune-modulating and anti-inflammatory effects that are beneficial for both human and veterinary medicine. However, MSCs have a limited proliferation capacity, with their quality varying depending on the donor’s age and where they were harvested from. For this reason, a method for producing MSCs using induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) is attracting attention as a means to provide a stable supply of homogeneous MSCs. IPSCs have unlimited proliferation capacity and can be differentiated ...

New nanoparticles offer safer, more effective drug delivery

2025-06-20

Scientists at Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU) and Nanjing University in China have developed a new drug delivery system that could improve how treatments of cancers and other diseases are delivered. Their study, published in the journal ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, describes a new type of nanoparticle made by combining a widely used medical polymer with a natural blood protein. These particles can carry much larger amounts of disease-fighting drugs and remain stable much ...

Exercise-induced protein revives aging muscles and bones

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES: