bioRxivNov 12, 2026, 13:04 GMT

Muscle protein pattern linked to age and function in women

A 24-protein signature separated 10 younger from 10 older women; higher signature scores were linked to poorer combined grip strength and walking speed.

Paper by Mark A Watson, Christina D King, Taylor R Valentino, +4Birgit Schilling · Buck Institute for Research on Aging

Thigh muscle cross-sections show thicker surrounding material and clustered proteins beside a smaller sample with mitochondria, near upright women.

Our read

Biomarkers

Studied:: Preprint: cross-sectional study of 20 healthy younger and older women
What changed:: Higher muscle protein signature scores were linked to poorer combined grip strength and walking speed
The catch:: Selecting and assessing the signature in the same 20 women risks overstating its performance
In the record:: The 13th paper on HMGB1 with results in people; 155 on record in all.

Editor of record: Boris Djordjevic · AgingResearch.News

Paper

Ten healthy women aged 24–30 and 10 aged 70–84 provided biopsies of the vastus lateralis, a thigh muscle, for an observational study. The researchers measured proteins in the samples alongside grip strength and walking speed.

Older muscle had higher levels of proteins associated with the material surrounding cells, DNA packaging and lysosomes, the cell’s waste-disposal compartments. It had lower levels of proteins involved in energy production. Of 2,391 protein groups measured, 163 differed by age. A 24-protein signature separated all younger from all older women. Higher signature scores were strongly linked to lower scores on a combined measure of physical function. Twenty-three of the 24 proteins were also linked to physical function.

Why it matters

Declining muscle strength and mobility are consequential features of aging. The authors suggest that, after validation, this signature may help assess interventions aimed at preserving physical performance in older women.

Caveats

The signature was selected and assessed in the same 20 healthy women, which may overstate its performance elsewhere; the findings do not establish its usefulness in men or women with illness. This preprint has not been peer-reviewed.