Scientists create Mighty Mouse with four times the muscle mass

Aug 29, 2007, 7:00 GMT

New York - US researchers have identified genes that can create a 'mighty mouse' with muscle mass about four times as much as normal rodents, a journal article published Wednesday said.

Johns Hopkins University scientists discovered that mice who lack the protein myostatin and who also overproduce follistatin grew significantly larger than their normal counterparts. The modified mice could swim and run twice as long as regular mice.

Researcher Se-Jin Lee created genetically engineered mice for the study that built on his earlier research showing the absence of myostatin led to larger mice.

The information could be put to use developing drugs to treat muscular dystrophy and other wasting diseases. It could also have applications for livestock breeding, Lee said.

The muscle-laden mouse had particularly large pectorals, triceps and quadriceps.

The article appeared Wednesday in the Public Library of Science's PLoS One journal. The research was financed by the National Institutes of Health, the Muscular Dystrophy Association and a pharmaceutical firm.