Analysis Tool for Age Related Changes in Skeletal Muscle

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Skeletal muscle undergoes physiological changes during the course of aging that significantly impact the mechanical behavior of the tissue. Longitudinal and cross sectional studies indicate that both men and women will experience declines in lean muscle mass ranging from 30% to 40% between 50 years and 80 years. These losses lead to a more severe decrease in the ability to develop force and power. As the average life expectancy increases, an increasing proportion of the population will face declines in performance and increased susceptibility to falls impacting quality of life, activities of daily living, morbidity, and mortality. Proposed techniques for addressing this problem include interventions such as altering gene expression, use of biomaterials to aid in regeneration and repair of tissues, and improved exercise protocols. Patmos FEA Consulting has developed a computer based technology for accelerating research in the biology of aging as well as a platform for virtual design and testing of interventions. The Patmos technology, a patent pending technique known as "virtual resolution enhancement" (VRE, allows data collected by an imaging modality to be extended beyond its native resolution using multilevel modeling techniques. By providing the capability to "zoom-in" on lower organizational levels within a tissue, the Patmos technology provides a platform for the exploration of mechanics at the cellular and subcellular levels. To address the primary technical challenge associated with the development of the eventual commercial product, It is the goal of Patmos through the aims of this NIH SBIR Phase I proposal to provide mechanical data bridging between intracellular level events and the size scale of in vivo and in vitro imaging techniques. Consequently, the Patmos technology will provide the capability to integrate experiments in the biology of aging across multiple organizational levels within a tissue into one cohesive model providing an improved platform for evaluating interventions. Beginning in the third decade of life, men and women will experience progressive loss of skeletal muscle mass at a rate of approximately 15% per decade leading to declines in performance, increased susceptibility to falls, increased incidence of immobility, decline in quality of life, and an associated increase in mortality. Patmos FEA Consulting has developed a novel, Windows based, modeling technology that allows the user to "zoom-in" beyond the resolution of ultrasound and MRI imaging to visualize effects at the cellular and protein level within a tissue. The Patmos technology provides a powerful tool for aiding the development and evaluation of potential interventions (gene therapy, new biomaterials, exercise programs) to ameliorate the effects of the aging process on skeletal muscle.