New therapeutic approaches to attenuate cancer-associated cachexia

Abstract

Cancer-associated cachexia is a multifactorial syndrome that is characterised by the progressive loss of skeletal muscle and fat mass. We established two different cancer cachexia mouse models to evaluate the therapeutic potential of extracellular myogenic regulatory signals (EMRS). EMRS treatment improved the muscle function in both models. Mechanistically, EMRS reduced muscle atrophy by inhibiting the catabolic action of the ubiquitin-proteasome system, while also promoting myogenesis and homeostasis of the neuromuscular junctions. Thus, EMRS constitute a promising new approach for treating cancer-associated cachexia.