Boosting the body's inflammation-resolution signals to counter cancer-related wasting
Official title: Control of cancer cachexia via stimulation of resolution of inflammation
Funded at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center · NIH-11237614 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Seeks to boost the body's natural inflammation-resolution signals to reduce muscle and weight loss in people with advanced cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | January 1, 2024 |
| Project end | December 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $691,696 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA276107-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11237614 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with advanced cancer who are experiencing progressive weight loss and muscle wasting (cancer cachexia) would be the eventual candidates for therapies developed from this research.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without cancer-related wasting (for example, early-stage cancer patients without cachexia or people with non-cancer causes of wasting) may not benefit directly from these findings.
What this research studies
From my perspective, the team will use laboratory and animal models to understand why inflammation fails to resolve in cancer and how that failure leads to muscle wasting. They plan to test naturally occurring pro-resolving lipid mediators (like resolvins) that help immune cells clear cellular debris, lower harmful inflammation, and promote tissue repair. Their prior work shows these mediators can counteract pro-inflammatory signals and slow tumor growth in preclinical models. The overall aim is to create pro-resolving therapies that could eventually be translated into treatments for people with cancer cachexia.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new treatments that reduce or reverse cancer-related muscle wasting and improve strength, appetite, and quality of life.
How similar studies have gone: Related pro-resolving mediators have shown promise in preclinical models, but pro-resolving therapies for cancer cachexia are novel and have not yet been tested in patients.
Where this research is happening
-
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Panigrahy, Dipak — Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Panigrahy, Dipak
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Mitochondrial pores and muscle loss in cancer cachexia
A small US-based study will explore how changes in mitochondria contribute to muscle wasting in people with cancer cachexia and how this may be slowed.
-
CANCAN: A Virtual Institute to Cure Cancer Cachexia
A broad, collaborative NIH initiative aims to uncover why cancer patients lose weight and muscle and to develop new ways to treat this serious condition.
-
Spatial metabolism mapping in cancer cachexia tissues
Aims to map where and how metabolism changes in tissues affected by cancer cachexia using advanced imaging technology.
-
Nuclear receptors that may stop muscle wasting in cancer
This grant explores whether activating specific muscle-regulating receptors can prevent muscle loss in cancer patients.
-
Stopping an enzyme called Transglutaminase 2 to prevent cancer-related muscle loss
This work explores whether blocking an enzyme called Transglutaminase 2 can stop or reverse the severe muscle wasting that often affects people with pancreatic cancer.
-
How the liver's ketone production affects muscle loss and recovery in pancreatic cancer
This project looks at whether helping the liver make ketones can prevent muscle wasting and aid recovery for people with pancreatic cancer.
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.