Carlene Starck

Citation

Thesis Title
The human myostatin precursor protein: Structure, function and amyloid formation: Implications for the muscle wastage disease sporadic inclusion body myositis

Read article at Massey Research Online:

Carlene Starck’s research focused on the role that myostatin plays in human muscle growth, development and disease. Myostatin is an inhibitor of muscle growth in humans and a promising therapeutic target in diseases of muscle wastage. The main finding of Ms. Starck’s research is that myostatin is able to form protein aggregates similar to those found in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease patients. Myostatin aggregates are toxic to muscle cells and support a role for myostatin in the most common muscle disease of the elderly. This novel research contributes to the understanding and treatment of muscle disease in humans.

Supervisors
Associate Professor Andrew Sutherland-Smith
Associate Professor John Tweedie