# IMMUNE AND MUSCLE FUNCTION ASSAYS AS BIOMARKERS OF AGING

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · 1993 · $220,400

## Abstract

Innocuous, age-sensitive assays of immune and muscle function have been
developed and tested in cross-sectional studies of mice.  These assays
provide valid measures of function and can be performed without harm to
the mice.  The overall goal is to develop reproducible and valid
biomarkers of aging.  Our working hypothesis is that the proposed assays
of immune and muscle function can distinguish mice that are aging at
different rates.  The hypothesis will be supported if changes in immune
and muscle function are highly correlated, and if mice that exhibit early
declines in immune and muscle function die at an early age.  Two strains
of hybrid mice (B6D2F1 and B6C3F1) will be used to mitigate the
possibility of strain-specific artifact.  Half of the mice will be fed ad
libitum and half a calorie restricted diet that retards the aging rate.
The principal design is longitudinal, in which 30 male mice in each of
the four groups (two strains x two diets) will be tested with assays of
immune and muscle function at 6 month intervals until near the end of
their lifespan.  This design will provide data on relations among
putative biomarkers and between the biomarkers and lifespan and
pathologic processes.

A separate group of mice will be tested at 6 month intervals with the
innocuous assays and then be sacrificed at 21 months of age (ad libitum
fed mice) or 30 months (calorie restricted mice).  This cross-sectional
component will provide material for tests of immune and muscle, function
that require access to internal tissues, permit comparisons between the
innocuous assays and more traditional measures, and identify biochemical
correlates of functional changes.

The data will be analyzed by an iterative, nonlinear partial least
squares approach which has proven very useful for the study of
longitudinal data in early life but has not yet been exploited for
studies of aging.  Each of the assays can be applied with only minor
modifications to human beings.  Consequently, several of the assays
should provide useful biomarkers of age-specific physiologic decline
suitable for interventional studies in human beings as well as for
experimental investigations of rodents.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3123058
- **Project number:** 1R01AG011067-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR
- **SAM.gov UEI:** GNJ7BBP73WE9
- **Principal Investigator:** RICHARD A MILLER
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1993
- **Award amount:** $220,400
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 1993-04-15 → 1998-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3123058

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3123058, IMMUNE AND MUSCLE FUNCTION ASSAYS AS BIOMARKERS OF AGING (1R01AG011067-01). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3123058. Licensed CC0.

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