Is cachexia all Greek for you?Common with cancer

Sadly, weight loss and dramatic wasting of muscle mass are part of cancer for many. Known as “Cachexia(Ku-KEK-see-uh), the condition is complex, little talked about, and can get lost in the competing pressures faced by oncologists and their patients.

Many have never heard of the Greek word cachexia, which means “bad condition.”However, a global funding initiative known as the Cancer Grand Challenges Announced today It supports four diverse global communities of researchers, each $ 25 million, to help them get together, think differently, and tackle other difficult challenges of cachexia and other cancers. increase.

Karen Mustian, PhD, Richard Dunne, MD, and PJ Lin, PhD

Wilmot Cancer Institute the scientist Dr. Karen Mustian MPH, Richard Dunne, MD.. , When Po-Ju Lin, Ph.D., MPHIs part of one of CancerGrandChallenges Global Team.. Wilmot scientists conduct clinical and translational research to better understand cancer cachexia and develop treatments. The University of Rochester Medical Center As part of this collaboration, we will receive approximately $ 2.6 million.

The global cachexia team spans 14 institutions and is headed by scientists at the Ratgers Cancer Institute, NJ, Weil Cornell Medicine, and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. In addition to URMC, researchers from the Kaiser Permanente Medical Program in Northern California, Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, Harvard Medical School, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, and Louisiana It contains. University, University of Cambridge, University of London, University of Glasgow.

“What’s great Gun Grand Challenge The program is to form a “dream team” of researchers to investigate a wide range of problems on a large scale, “said Mustian, who is also a professor of the Dean. Surgery in UR medicine.. “It gathers a group of interdisciplinary scientists who should not have gathered for this award.”

Dan, Associate Professor of Hematology / Oncology School of medicineTreats people with gastrointestinal cancer who are prone to cachexia. Currently, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to managing it, and no FDA-approved treatment, but several treatments are being studied in clinical trials.

“I think the cachexia field is on the verge of some big discoveries,” said Dan. “Many efforts to date have given us a better understanding of this condition, but we have not received new approval for a treatment strategy. This effort will improve the situation.”

Cancer Grand Challenges National Cancer Institute (Part of National Institute of Health) When Cancer Research UK, A non-profit organization and the largest cancer charity in the world. Together, they invested $ 100 million in the team announced today.

“I’m over the moon about what we might discover together as a big team, and the fast pace at which we can make real changes,” said Mustian. “We are honored that Wilmot’s researchers are part of this incredible group of prominent scientists around the world.”

What is cachexia?

Although the cellular mechanism is unknown, this condition is characterized by three stages: precancerous treatment, current, and resistant or relapsed malaise. At advanced stages, it becomes difficult to manage. Few studies have long-term follow-up of people with cachexia, and scientists have not reported reliable biomarkers for early detection.

Chemotherapy is known to accelerate weight and muscle loss, some researchers say Tumor cells release substances that reduce appetite..

What is certain? It is a major source of emotional stress for patients, families and caregivers.

“When a patient says he’s not hungry and just can’t eat, it causes friction,” Dan said. “I’m trying to assure people that it’s not their fault.”

At Wilmot, cachexia patients are managed by oncologists, nurses and registered dietitians, and Mustian, Dunne and Lin are making progress in collaboration with the Cancer Grand Challenges group. Dunne recently conducted two clinical trials to see if exercise and dietary supplements like whey protein, vitamin D, and smoothies containing high doses of omega 3 fatty acids can help people with cachexia. He expects results later this year.

Grand Challenge

Global collaboration will bring together clinicians, advocates, and scientists with expertise in cancer, metabolism, neuroendocrine function, immunology, etc. to build a virtual cachexia research center. Winning a Cancer Grand Challenges grant was extremely competitive, with nearly 170 teams submitting proposals and reviewers narrowed the group to 11 before the last four teams were elected.

The cachexia team has three sub-teams that study the basic molecular mechanisms. The fourth team, based in Wilmot and Kaiser Permanente, California, will conduct the largest clinical trial to date on cancer cachexia to study the natural progression of the condition and its biological basis. increase. Wilmot researchers will also build a large bank of biological specimens dedicated to studying whether results from bench scientists can be transferred to humans.

To achieve this, Mustian, Dunne, and Lin are also recruiting 800 individuals across the United States who suffer from cachexia for clinical trials. Patients are observed in volunteers and provide accurate measurements of tumor samples, blood, and muscle mass and functional capacity over time.Wilmot team Leverage your status as an NCI Community Oncology Research Base (NCORP RB), also led by Mustian, makes patients accessible to cancer clinics in the region and in hundreds of regions across the country.

“Our Bench Science Colleague’s project informs our work, and our project informs their work,” Mustian said. For example, making human blood and tissue samples readily available can expedite the discovery of new biomarkers and treatment options.

Mustian, an exercise physiologist and co-leader of Wilmot Cancer Prevention and Management Research ProgramScientists predict that movement may discover that it can help some people with cachexia. Lin, an assistant professor of surgery, also has expertise in motor oncology, behavioral medicine, and supportive care for cancer. Her participation includes collecting data on psychosocial characteristics, performing functional and dietary assessments of cachexia patients.

“There is a great deal of volatility in this condition,” Mustian said. “Some people lose weight, some lose function, others lose muscle mass and are more prone to genetic conditions. There are many questions to answer.”

Rochester has a long and successful history of research on the side effects and toxicity associated with cancer and its treatment — cachexia is the latest effort.

For example, decades ago, cancer-related nausea was poorly understood and affected survival. However, a pioneering discovery made in Rochester created a drug to control nausea, allowing patients to complete their treatment plans.

“The development of better treatments for cachexia will make patients stronger and hopefully lead a better and more fulfilling life during and after cancer treatment.”