Published on: Sep 08, 2025
Researchers at the Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, have found that blocking the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) can protect against age-related bone and muscle loss. Their findings, published in JCI Insight, suggest a potential new strategy to prevent osteoporosis and sarcopenia in older adults.
AhR is a protein in cells that responds to environmental toxins and metabolic byproducts such as kynurenine, which increases with age. The study showed that excessive activation of AhR contributes to frailty, bone loss and muscle weakness. By using drugs to inhibit AhR in aging mice, the researchers observed stronger bones, preserved nerve-muscle connections, and improved muscle performance.
The work is the result of a long-running, collaborative program involving Dr. Meghan McGee-Lawrence, Dr. Mark Hamrick, Dr. Sadanand Fulzele, and Dr. Carlos Isales. Each lab contributed insights into how AhR affects bone and muscle. Across independent studies, all teams confirmed that blocking AhR consistently prevented decline.
Fractures in older individuals don’t heal well, and loss of bone and muscle greatly reduces quality of life, said Dr. McGee-Lawrence. Our findings show that targeting AhR could be an effective way to protect musculoskeletal health as we age.
The researchers plan to continue exploring how pharmacological inhibition of AhR could be applied in humans to prevent age-related musculoskeletal diseases.
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