How metastatic colorectal cancer weakens muscles and bones
Official title: The musculoskeletal cost of metastatic colorectal cancer
Funded at Indiana University Indianapolis · NIH-11330251 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This research looks at how metastatic colorectal cancer and a hormone called FGF21 cause muscle and bone wasting in people with advanced colorectal cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R37 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Indiana University Indianapolis NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Indianapolis, United States) |
| Project start | May 5, 2025 |
| Project end | April 30, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $407,725 |
| NIH project number | 5R37CA299888-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11330251 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are people with metastatic colorectal cancer—especially those with liver metastases and signs of weight loss or cachexia—who might provide clinical samples or be considered for future treatments based on this research.
✕Less likely to help
People without colorectal cancer or with early-stage disease and no cachexia are unlikely to gain direct benefit from this project.
What this research studies
If you have metastatic colorectal cancer, this project aims to understand why cachexia causes loss of muscle and bone by focusing on signals from tumors and the liver, especially the hormone FGF21. Researchers combine analysis of patient blood and tissue samples with laboratory experiments in cells and mouse tumor models to trace where FGF21 comes from and how it damages musculoskeletal tissues. They remove or block FGF21 in tumor cells and animals to see whether muscle and bone are preserved and to identify the cellular mechanisms involved. The team hopes to find targetable signals or biomarkers that could guide future treatments or identify patients at high risk for wasting.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new ways to prevent or treat cancer-related muscle and bone wasting, improving strength, quality of life, and survival for people with advanced colorectal cancer.
How similar studies have gone: Preliminary data and earlier lab studies suggest FGF21 may drive cancer-related wasting, but targeting FGF21 as a therapy in patients remains largely novel and untested.
Where this research is happening
-
Indiana University Indianapolis
Indianapolis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Huot, Joshua — Indiana University Indianapolis
- Study coordinator: Huot, Joshua
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Population-based view of patient-reported outcomes in adults with metastatic colorectal cancer
This grant funds a long-term study to understand experiences and quality of life for adults living with metastatic colorectal cancer.
-
Nanodelivery of FP polymers to improve treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer
A new nanoscale therapy called CF10 is being developed to deliver a chemotherapy drug more directly to metastatic colorectal cancer, aiming for better tumor targeting and fewer side effects.
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Nanoscale polymers delivering patient-specific cancer vaccines for metastatic colorectal cancer
A new therapy uses tiny, designer particles to carry patient-specific cancer antigens to tumors in people with advanced colorectal cancer.
-
Targeted nanoparticles combining chemotherapy and immune stimulation for advanced colon cancer
Targeted nanoparticles that deliver a two-drug chemotherapy combo plus immune-activating components are being developed to help people with metastatic colorectal (colon) cancer that usually does not respond to current immunotherapy.
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Symptoms and quality of life in adults living with metastatic colorectal cancer
Researchers will follow adults with metastatic colorectal cancer over time to learn what symptoms and quality-of-life issues they experience during treatment and survivorship.
-
miR-15a microRNA therapy for advanced metastatic colorectal cancer
A new treatment using a small RNA called miR-15a is being developed to help people, including Veterans, with advanced metastatic colorectal cancer that is resistant to standard chemotherapy.
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.