Preventing cancer-related weight and muscle loss (cachexia)
Official title: CANCAN - PENNINGTON
Funded at Lsu Pennington Biomedical Research Ctr · NIH-11235478 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks for the tumor and body signals that cause cancer-related weight and muscle loss so people with cancer who are wasting can get better treatments.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Lsu Pennington Biomedical Research Ctr NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baton Rouge, United States) |
| Project start | June 22, 2022 |
| Project end | May 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $10,644 |
| NIH project number | 3OT2CA278684-01S3 |
| Project ID | NIH-11235478 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with cancer who have unintentional weight loss, muscle wasting, or decreased appetite would be the most relevant candidates for the clinical phenotyping components.
✕Less likely to help
People without cancer or without signs of cachexia (no weight or muscle loss) are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this project.
What this research studies
A team of international scientists and clinicians will combine lab studies and patient-focused work to understand cancer cachexia. In the lab they will use mouse models with isotope tracing and imaging mass spectrometry to map how tumors alter metabolism and tissues. In people they will perform detailed clinical phenotyping of appetite, hormones, metabolism, and body composition to link tumor signals with neurohormonal sickness pathways. The goal is to find upstream drivers that could be targeted to prevent or reverse wasting.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new treatments that reduce weight and muscle loss, improve quality of life, and help people better tolerate cancer therapy.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies have described organ-level wasting pathways but have not produced effective therapies, so this integrated tumor-to-host, lab-to-clinic approach is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
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Lsu Pennington Biomedical Research Ctr
Baton Rouge, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Heymsfield, Steven — Lsu Pennington Biomedical Research Ctr
- Study coordinator: Heymsfield, Steven
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.