NANOG (Part 2): A Small Protein That Promotes Muscle Growth And Strength
(Posted on Friday, April 28, 2023)
This story on NANOG is part of an extended series on Regenerative Medicine. For other stories on this topic see williamhaseltine.com and search for Regenerative Medicine. My definition of Regenerative Medicine is any medical modality that returns us to normal health when we are damaged by disease, injured by trauma, disadvantaged by birth, or worn by time. Modalities include chemicals, genes, proteins and cells used as drugs, gene editing, prosthetics, and mind-machine interfaces.
NANOG is a protein found in embryonic stem cells. As described in the previous article of this series, stem cells are pluripotent—they have the potential to develop into nearly any other cell type in the body. NANOG plays a key role in maintaining the pluripotency of stem cells by inhibiting chemical cues that can cause stem cells to mature, pointing to the role of NANOG in longevity and aging.
Although it is suspected that NANOG contains anti-aging properties, because of its ability to restore and repair cells, there are several new uses of NANOG that are currently being proposed. Here, we discuss NANOG and how it may support muscle growth and strength.