Recent clinical research suggests that a specific monoclonal antibody may help patients keep their skeletal muscle mass while using medication for weight loss.

最近的臨床研究顯示，一種特定的單克隆抗體可能在患者使用減重藥物的同時，幫助其維持骨骼肌量。

GLP-1 receptor agonists, such as tirzepatide and semaglutide, help people lose weight by mimicking hormones that control appetite and blood sugar. However, a common problem with this process is that patients also lose lean muscle mass. This is concerning because skeletal muscle is essential for managing glucose and preventing metabolic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes and heart problems.

GLP-1 受體促效劑（例如 tirzepatide 和 semaglutide）透過模擬控制食慾與血糖的激素來幫助人們減重。然而，這個過程中的一個常見問題是患者也會流失精瘦肌肉量。這令人擔憂，因為骨骼肌對於管理血糖及預防代謝疾病（例如第 2 型糖尿病和心臟問題）至關重要。

To solve this issue, researchers tested apitegromab, a drug designed to block myostatin, which is a protein that stops muscles from growing. In a study published in Nature Medicine with 102 participants, the group receiving both apitegromab and tirzepatide lost an average of 1.6kg of lean mass over 24 weeks. In contrast, the placebo group lost about 3.5kg. Importantly, the total weight loss was similar for both groups, meaning the drug protected muscle without stopping weight loss.

為了解決這個問題，研究人員測試了 apitegromab，這是一種旨在阻斷 myostatin（一種阻止肌肉生長的蛋白質）的藥物。在一項發表於《自然醫學》（Nature Medicine）且有 102 名參與者的研究中，同時接受 apitegromab 和 tirzepatide 治療的組別，在 24 週內平均流失 1.6 公斤的精瘦體重。相比之下，對照組則流失約 3.5 公斤。重要的是，兩組的總減重量相似，這意味著該藥物在不影響減重效果的情況下保護了肌肉。

Despite these positive results, the study has some limitations, such as a small number of participants and a high percentage of female patients. Consequently, experts from the University of Cambridge and the University of Aberdeen emphasized that it is still unclear if these results will lead to better long-term health. They asserted that larger, long-term trials are necessary to prove that apitegromab actually improves physical function.

儘管結果積極，但研究仍存在一些限制，例如參與者人數較少且女性患者比例較高。因此，來自劍橋大學和阿伯丁大學的專家強調，目前尚不清楚這些結果是否能帶來更好的長期健康。他們主張，必須進行更大規模的長期試驗，以證明 apitegromab 確實能改善身體功能。

Apitegromab shows promise in protecting muscle mass during weight loss, but its long-term safety and effectiveness still need to be proven.

Apitegromab 在減重期間保護肌肉量方面顯示出潛力，但其長期安全性與有效性仍需進一步證明。