Glossary

ATPase hydrolysis
A process that uses the chemical energy of nucleoside triphosphate hydrolysis, generally ATP, to drive mechanical action. It lowers the activation energy required for hydrolysis to occur.

Biobank
A type of biorepository that stores biological samples for use in research.

Cancer cachexia
Where proteins in cells break down too quickly to be replaced with new proteins, which leads to muscle loss. It negatively impacts quality and length of life in patients with cancer.

Critical Illness Myopathy (CIM)
A common neuro-muscular complication of intensive care treatment associated with increased morbidity and mortality.

Extracellular vesicles
Nano-sized, membranous structures that transport various cellular components such as proteins, mRNAs, miRNAs, DNA, and lipids across distances, influencing numerous physiological and pathological events.

GLP-1 weight loss drugs
GLP-1 antagonists are injectable drugs that mimic a hormone that lowers blood sugar and promotes weight loss. (e.g., Ozempic®, Wegovy®, etc.)

Mesenchymal stromal cells
Also known as mesenchymal stem cells. Multipotent stromal cells that can differentiate into a variety of cell types, including osteoblasts (bone cells), chondrocytes (cartilage cells), myocytes (muscle cells) and adipocytes (fat cells which give rise to marrow adipose tissue).

Monoclonal antibody
Specialized proteins engineered in laboratories to mimic the action of naturally occurring antibodies, but with a specific, highly targeted binding ability.

Muscle dystrophy
A group of genetic disorders that cause progressive weakness and loss of muscle mass.

Myosin
A molecular motor that binds and hydrolyses ATP required for muscle contraction and movement.

Myostatin
A myokine that is produced and released by myocytes and acts on muscle cells to inhibit muscle growth.

Nanothermometry
A branch of physics and engineering exploring the use of non-invasive precise thermometers working at the nanoscale. These devices have high spatial resolution (<1 micrometer), where conventional methods are ineffective.

Quantum Dots
Also known as semiconductor nanocrystals, are semiconductor particles a few nanometres in size with optical and electronic properties that differ from those of larger particles. When a quantum dot is illuminated by UV light, an electron in the quantum dot can be excited to a state of higher energy.

Sarcopenia
The loss of muscle mass and function associated with aging.

Uremic myopathy
Refers to changes in muscle structure and function that are present in patients with advanced kidney disease, including sarcopenia, cachexia, protein energy wasting and muscle atrophy.