Network to cure cancer-related weight and muscle loss
Official title: The CANcer Cachexia Action Network (CANCAN): a Multidisciplinary Virtual Institute with the Mission to Cure Cancer Cachexia
Funded at New York University School of Medicine · NIH-11237222 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A team of doctors and scientists is joining forces to find why cancer causes severe weight and muscle loss and to create better ways to help people with cancer-related wasting.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | New York University School of Medicine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | June 1, 2024 |
| Project end | May 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $844,895 |
| NIH project number | 3OT2CA301505-01S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11237222 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates would be people with cancer who are experiencing unintentional weight or muscle loss, reduced appetite, or related metabolic problems and who are willing to provide clinical information and biospecimens at participating centers.
✕Less likely to help
People without cancer or those whose weight loss is due to non-cancer causes are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
What this research studies
I would be joining a virtual network of doctors and scientists from many fields who are working together on cancer-related weight and muscle loss (cachexia). They will combine clinical exams, detailed metabolic and hormonal tests, immune and tumor sample analysis, and advanced data methods to trace what tumors trigger in the body. Lab models and human biospecimens will be used side-by-side so discoveries in the lab can be linked back to real patients. The goal is to turn those discoveries into new treatments and better symptom management for people with cancer.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new therapies and better care that reduce weight and muscle loss, improve tolerance of cancer treatment, and boost quality of life and survival.
How similar studies have gone: Past research has identified many pathways linked to cachexia but has not produced effective, widely used treatments, so this coordinated, multidisciplinary approach is relatively novel and aims to address those gaps.
Where this research is happening
-
New York University School of Medicine
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Goncalves, Marcus Dasilva — New York University School of Medicine
- Study coordinator: Goncalves, Marcus Dasilva
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.