Common gene deficiency changes the way muscles respond to hormones

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2025-08-28 04:00

Australia; VIC

Shutterstock image

A common gene deficiency changes the way muscles respond to hormones, according to a new Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) study. The research, published in Science Advances, found one in five people lack the ACTN3 protein which can lead to muscle loss in males and reduced normal muscle growth during puberty in females.

Journal/
conference: Science Advances

Organisation/s: Murdoch Children's Research Institute (MCRI), The University of Melbourne, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Monash University

Funder: Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) project grant APP1130215 (JTS, KNN) World Anti-Doping Agency 16E11FP (YP) NHMRC Dora Lush Postgraduate Scholarship GNT1114935 (KNR) Australian Research Council Future Fellowship FT210100278 (SeL) NHMRC L3 Investigator Grant #1197361 (DJH) Novo Nordisk Foundation NNF21CC0073729 (MS, FJR, MR).

Media Contact/s

Contact details are only visible to registered journalists.