Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41519810›Full record

Articlenpj aging2026

Astaxanthin improves myogenicity of aged skeletal muscle progenitor cells in a sexually dimorphic manner.

Zachary Clemens, Jagruti Kosaraju, Lauren Weaver, Catharine Lasher, Jesse Zhang, Karen Hecht, Kai Wang, Allison C Bean, Amrita Sahu

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in npj aging, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Zachary ClemensDepartment of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Jagruti KosarajuDepartment of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Lauren WeaverDepartment of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Catharine LasherDepartment of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Jesse ZhangDepartment of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Karen HechtAstaReal, Inc., Burlington, NJ, USA.
Kai WangDiscovery Center for Musculoskeletal Recovery, Schoen Adams Research Institute at Spaulding, Charlestown, MA, USA.
Allison C BeanDepartment of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Amrita SahuDepartment of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA. ams519@pitt.edu.

Funding

Institutional Career Development CoreKL2TR001856 · NCATS · UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH · PI RAY, KRISTIN N, RUBIO, DORIS M · 2016 to 2025
$13.8M
TRAINING IN THE EPIDEMIOLOGY OF AGINGT32AG000181 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH · PI STROTMEYER, ELSA S. · 1989 to 2025
$6.2M
NCATS NIH HHS KL2 TR001856NIA NIH HHS T32 AG000181NIH HHS KL2TR001856NIH HHS T32AG000181
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Age-related declines in skeletal muscle health are a major contributor to reduced mobility and development of sarcopenia in the elderly, yet effective interventions to prevent or reverse these declines are not fully optimized. Nutritional strategies to support muscle health in aging populations may be beneficial for improving muscle strength and function. In this study, we explored the effects of astaxanthin (AX), a naturally occurring antioxidant, on aged human muscle progenitor cells (hMPCs). Our findings reveal that AX enhanced proliferation and myogenic commitment of aged hMPCs, with a more pronounced effect in male hMPCs compared to female hMPCs. This dimorphism may be linked to differences in reactive oxygen species (ROS)-scavenging and effects on mitochondrial function. Other hallmarks of aging including DNA damage and cellular senescence showed differing effects of AX treatment. However, NRF2 and SIRT3 increased with AX treatment in both male and female hMPCs. This was accompanied by increased SIRT3 mitochondrial expression in males but not females, suggesting the NRF2-SIRT3 axis as a key driver of myogenicity and potential source of sexual dimorphism in response to AX. These results suggest sex-specific effects of AX in modulating aged hMPC behavior and pose a potential therapeutic strategy for combating age-related muscle decline.

Identifiers

PMID41519810
PMCPMC12894916

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.