New approaches to combat cancer cachexia

Miguel López

Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, Spain

Cancer cachexia is a severe condition that causes significant weight loss and affects most cancer patients, leading to increased mortality and reduced quality of life. Despite its prevalence, there is currently no cure for cachexia, and the mechanisms behind it are not well understood. This project aims to investigate the role of the hypothalamus, the part of the brain that regulates the body temperature, the appetite, etc., in development of cancer cachexia.

Combining genomic and virogenetic studies, metabolic phenotyping, and nanomedicine strategies, researchers will study patient-derived samples and use mouse models to explore the molecular mechanisms of cachexia. The goal is to identify factors that cause cachexia and understand how they affect the hypothalamus. This knowledge will help develop targeted therapies to neutralize these factors to treat this debilitating syndrome and improve the lives of cancer patients.

• Joan Seoane, Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO), Barcelona, Spain

Metabolic organ crosstalk in cancer-induced cachexia as a novel therapeutic approach

€999,300.00