A new way to measure muscle loss in cancer
Pre-clinical study for the use of D3-Creatine as a biomarker in cachexia clinical trials
This research explores if a special marker called D3-Creatine can accurately measure muscle loss in veterans with cancer, helping to improve future treatment studies.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Edward Hines Jr VA Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Hines, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11116903 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Many veterans with cancer experience muscle wasting, which can make treatments less effective and lead to physical disability. Currently, it's hard to precisely diagnose and track this muscle loss, making it difficult to test new treatments. This project looks at D3-Creatine, a promising new way to measure muscle mass that has shown good results in other conditions. We want to understand if D3-Creatine can reliably measure muscle changes specifically in cancer-related muscle wasting, paving the way for better clinical trials.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Patients who experience muscle wasting due to cancer, particularly veterans, might eventually benefit from improved diagnostic tools developed from this research.
Not a fit: Patients without cancer-related muscle wasting or those not participating in future clinical trials using this biomarker may not directly benefit from this specific research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to a more accurate way to identify and track muscle wasting in cancer patients, helping to design more effective clinical trials for new treatments.
How similar studies have performed: D3-Creatine has shown promise as a muscle mass biomarker in age-related muscle loss, but its use in cancer-related muscle wasting is still being explored.
Where this research is happening
Hines, United States
- Edward Hines Jr VA Hospital — Hines, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lieber, Richard L. — Edward Hines Jr VA Hospital
- Study coordinator: Lieber, Richard L.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.