エクササイズの持つ優れた効果の一部をもたらす可能性がある新しい薬を、研究者が開発した。
マウスを使って行われた実験で、「SR9009」と呼ばれる薬剤候補が、持久力を高め、新陳代謝率を5％上昇させることがわかったのだ。この研究は、フロリダ州にあるスクリプス研究所の研究者が行ったもので、7月14日付けで「Nature Medicine」オンライン版で発表された。
「これらのマウスは実際に、トレーニングを続けているアスリートのような筋肉を得ている」と、この研究の共著者としてスクリプス研究所ので研究を行い、現在はセントルイス大学医科大学院の薬理生理学部長を務めるトーマス・ブリス博士はリリースの中で述べている。
「SR9009による治療後の遺伝子発現のパターンは、酸素運搬が多い筋肉（oxidative-type muscle：酸素を運搬するミオグロビンが多い筋肉のタイプ）。まるでアスリートと同じなのだ」
ブリス氏によると、治療したマウスは、その走行能力が、時間と距離の両方で50％増加したという。
この薬剤候補は、ブリス氏の研究所で開発された2種類の化合物のうちのひとつで、核内受容体「Rev-ErbAα」と結合することによって作用する。Rev-ErbAαは、骨格筋の形成に主要な役割を果たすタンパク質だ。
さらにSR90009は、筋肉組織を生成しただけでなく、マウスのコレステロール値も引き下げた。
マウスでの現象は、ヒトでも同じように起こるのだろうか。「Rev-ErbAαがヒトで同じ作用をしないと考える理由はない」とブリス氏は述べている。
ただし、この薬では再現されないエクササイズの効用もある。例えば、エクササイズによって得られる気分の高揚や、骨量を増加させる能力などだ。このことから、ブリス氏はハフィントン・ポストに対し、この薬剤候補を「エクササイズピル」と呼ぶことは好まないと述べている。運動がしたくても、病気等が原因となって運動が行えない人が服用することなどが想定されているのだという。
「今回の研究で得られた薬剤候補は、特に糖尿病や肥満などの病気をもつ人に対して、重要なエクササイズの要素を再現するものだと私は考えている」
なお、2012年に行われた研究では、体のカロリー消費を促進するホルモン「イリシン」（Irisin）が発見された。これを分離して取り出すことで、また別の「エクササイズ・ピル」を作り出せる可能性が示唆されている。
[Jacqueline Howard(English) 日本語版：佐藤卓/ガリレオ]
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