Abstract
Injuries and illnesses impose a period of immobilization that, depending on the clinical context, may be temporary or permanent and either localized (e.g., peripheral nerve injury) or generalized (e.g., bed rest). Although immobilization can sometimes be of benefit, it always has a negative side effect: skeletal muscle atrophy. This atrophy often creates new problems, including weakness and impaired recovery; it may also create a vicious cycle of atrophy and weakness leading to even more debilitation and loss of independent living. Immobilization models designed to capture the complexities of muscle atrophy currently offer the most advanced preclinical opportunity for navigating diverse mechanisms that provide rationale for therapeutic development. This presentation explores the current status, promise and challenges of preclinical evaluation in muscle atrophy models, from the perspective of muscle and proteasome function.