By studying the genes of an unusually muscular child, scientists have identified a gene in humans which has also been used to create “mighty mice” in the lab.The discovery means that successful therapies for degenerative muscle diseases in mice that target this gene might be also be effective in humans.The strapping German boy, whose mother is a professional sprinter, is so strong that at the age of just four and a half he can hold a three kilogram weight in each hand with his arms outstretched horizontally.The international team of scientists has shown that the boy has a single mutation in the gene for a protein called myostatin. This gene has previously been examined in mice, and blocking it can make mice twice as brawny as normal. However, until now no one knew its effects in humans."The idea was if we could find ways to interfere with myostatin function, perhaps we could slow down muscle loss in muscle wasting diseases and hopefully increase lifespan,” explains Se-Jin Lee at Johns Hopkins University, Maryland, US, and one of the team."But a major question was – will this work in humans?” he says. The new study confirms that the so-called “mighty mouse” gene does have the same effects in humans.
