Abstrakt

Myostatin in critical illness: Biomarker and potential pharmacological target?

Samira Abu Jhaisha, Theresa H. Wirtz, Philipp Hohlstein, Jonathan F. Brozat, Lukas Bündgens, Christian Trautwein, Alexander Koch*

 Sepsis is a major health problem worldwide and is associated with a high mortality. However, as ICU-mortality is decreasing in developed countries, cognitive and physical impairment in survivors of critical illness constitutes an increasing burden on the health care system and significantly reduces quality of life in affected patients. Intensive Care Unit Acquired Weakness (ICUAW) is a frequent problem which is caused by either critical illness polyneuropathy, critical illness myopathy or a combination of both. As a prominent negative regulator of skeletal muscle mass myostatin has been extensively studied in different pathologies involving muscle wasting and dysfunction such as muscular dystrophy, sarcopenia and heterogenous causes of cachexia (chronic inflammatory diseases, cancer etc.). In this review we focus on myostatin’s potential role as a biomarker and pharmacological target in the setting of critically ill patients.