New Compound LASSS Helps Aging Muscles Repair Themselves

Researchers at Kyushu University published a study on July 24, 2026, in 'Scientific Reports' identifying a sulfur-containing compound, lipoic acid trisulfide (LASSS), that protects aging muscle repair signals from chemical damage. Skeletal muscle deterioration during aging is often caused by the chemical modification of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) through nitration at specific sites Y198 and Y250, which prevents it from binding to c-met receptors on satellite cells. The research team demonstrated that treating HGF with LASSS at an increased molar ratio of 1:8000 converts the protein into an enhanced form termed 'Super HGF'. This modified factor exhibits more than twice the receptor-binding affinity of untreated HGF and displays increased resistance to nitration-induced dysfunction, outperforming another tested trisulfide compound, glutathione trisulfide (GSSSG). Animal experiments utilizing a tail suspension mouse model of muscle atrophy confirmed that pretreatment with LASSS significantly reduced HGF nitration compared to untreated subjects. This indicates that LASSS provides protection beyond simple antioxidant activity by directly interacting with HGF and inducing structural changes that preserve its regenerative capacity during periods of inactivity. These preliminary findings suggest a promising alternative therapeutic strategy for age-related muscle loss and inactivity-induced atrophy by safeguarding existing repair signals rather than replacing missing growth factors. While currently validated only in laboratory and animal models, this mechanism holds potential future applications for preserving mobility and independence in humans and companion animals.