Myostatin and Myostatin Inhibitors: The Next Big Supplement Scam
by Paul Cribb, B.H.Sci HMS
AST Director of Research
Late last year a report in the media blew the minds of bodybuilders who were wise enough to read the AST web site daily. Research performed by scientists from the Johns Hopkins University had created "massively-muscled, Arnold Schwarzenegger-like mice" by genetically engineering animals with a missing growth regulator called myostatin.
Myostatin is a gene (Now understand that a gene is a linear sequence of nucleotides along a segment of DNA that provides the coded instructions for synthesis of RNA, which, when translated into protein, leads to the expression of hereditary character.) that is a member of the Transforming Growth Factor-b (TGF-b) Superfamily.1 These genes encode factors that are essential to proper biological development during the embryonic stage.2 They are specifically expressed before birth.
Genetically engineered myostatin-free mice and cattle exhibit twice the lean muscle mass as their normal stable-mates, without extra feeding or resistance training!3 The important thing to understand is that these animals were genetically engineered to not possess the myostatin gene because myostatin limits muscle growth.3,4
A study published in 1998, revealed that myostatin is expressed in human skeletal muscle and levels are increased in muscle wasting diseases such as HIV.5 This research demonstrated that myostatin levels within the human body correlate inversely with fat-free mass. That is, the less myostatin in circulation, the more muscle you will have. This research confirmed that myostatin is a primary regulator of muscle growth in humans.5
Recently, the same scientists at Hopkins engineered a second group of mice whose genetic makeup shows it's possible to get the same amazing muscle growth-effect by blocking the myostatin gene rather than deleting it entirely.6
The Hopkins scientists identified several proteins, namely follistatin, mutant activin type II receptors, and myostatin propeptide, that can effectively block the activity of myostatin.6 Remember, if you can block myostatin, muscle growth will literally explode! Paul Delia reported this information in May last year.7
Now, a collective brains-trust of unscrupulous sports supplement marketers have recently cottoned on to this information and are attempting to pull more scams.8 These pumpkin heads are trying their best to make consumers believe that they have supplements that athletes can take that will block the activity of myostatin. I believe they also get the bulk of their product knowledge from Miss. Cleo the tarot card reader. If not product knowledge, they certainly get their marketing ideas from her.
The myostatin blocking-ability was not achieved by simply taking a pill or even receiving an injection. The Hopkins scientists are the world leaders in this technology, and they have only just recently been able to produce this ability to block myostatin using the latest, state-of-the-art genetic engineering techniques. What we are talking about is embryonic microinjections (gene manipulation before birth), numerous cross-linking experiments and cell cloning techniques to produce mice with various levels of the specific binding affinity mutations.
Myostatin is licensed to MetaMorphix, a company founded by one of the main researchers Se-Jin Lee, M.D., Ph.D., in 1995. This company was established to commercialize on work by Hopkins and other pharmaceutical companies in the field of growth and differentiation factors. Myostatin is sublicensed to American Home Products and Cape Aquaculture Technologies. The authors and the University own MetaMorphix stock and the authors also own CAT stock. Lee is a consultant to MetaMorphix and Cape Aquaculture Technologies. The other lead author of this research, Alexandra McPherron, Ph.D., is a consultant to Cape Aquaculture Technologies.
This is cutting-edge, multi-million dollar genetic research and it appears to be stitched up tight by some big companies and brilliant research minds. Do you really think some little snake-oil selling supplement company has the capacity, contacts, or finances to obtain this type of technology and then surpass it? Yeah, right! Not by a long shot.
The research on myostatin and the ability to block myostatin is very exciting. In 5 to 10 years, when it is possible to isolate, stabilize then synthesize on a large scale, the myostatin propeptide and follistatin protein blockers, it will be in the tight grip of billion dollar pharmaceutical companies. These drugs will be only made available on prescription for extreme wasting conditions. That is, until they find their way onto the black market, and then, god help this sport!
Now these companies with their "make-believe" products would love you to think they have the technology to produce such myostatin blockers. They will go to great lengths concocting tales of top secret, undercover research. They'll spin the story well. You better believe they will.
But by now you should know the script. First they will come out with a pill or a powder. Then another company will come out with the "better" liquid version. Of course it will be stabilized and guaranteed stable for 2 years. Then yet another company will come out with the transdermal myostatin cream that you simply rub on what ever muscle you want to increase the size of. Oh, and don't forget the special "night time" myostatin formula. And why stop there, how about the really special "Myagra-statin" because "girls really want a bigger man." Welcome to Fantasy Island, I mean the sports supplement industry.
References:
1. Sakuma, K., Watanabe, K., Sano. M., Uramoto, I., Totsuka, T. (2000). Differential Adaptation of Growth and Differentiation Factor 8/Myostatin, Fibroblast Growth Factor 6 and Leukemia Inhibitory Factor in overloaded, regenerating and denervated rat muscles. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta. 1497. pp77-88.
2. Sharma M, Langley B, Bass J, Kambadur R. Myostatin in muscle growth and repair. Exerc Sport Sci Rev. 29(4):155-8, 2001.
3. McPherron, A. C., and Lee, S. J. Double muscling in cattle due to mutations in the myostatin gene. Proc. Natl. Acad, Sci. USA. 94:12457-61, 1997.
4. Yamanouchi, K., Soeta, C., Naito, N., and Tojo, H. Expression of Myostatin Gene in Regenerating Skeletal Muscle of the Rat and its Localization. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications. 270:510-516, 2000.
5. Gonzalez-Cadavid NF. Organization of the human myostatin gene and expression in healthy men and HIV-infected men with muscle wasting. NAPS Online. Vol. 95, Issue 25, 14938-14943, 1998.
6. Se-Jin Lee, McPherron AC. Regulation of myostatin activity and muscle growth. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, Vol. 98, Issue 16, 9306-9311, July 31, 2001.
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