Understanding cancer cachexia and its drivers to improve patient care
Official title: CANCAN - COLDSPRING
Funded at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory · NIH-11539622 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A research team at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory is studying why cancer patients lose weight and muscle and how to help prevent or treat that loss.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Cold Spring Harbor, United States) |
| Project start | June 22, 2022 |
| Project end | May 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $760,938 |
| NIH project number | 3OT2CA278690-01S4 |
| Project ID | NIH-11539622 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with cancer who experience or are at risk for cachexia and related metabolic wasting.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without cancer or cachexia are unlikely to benefit.
What this research studies
This project explores why cancer cachexia happens by looking at how tumor factors trigger body-wide changes, including reduced appetite and tissue loss. Researchers will use advanced techniques in animal models, metabolic tracing, and clinical phenotyping to map the pathways involved. The goal is to identify upstream mediators and test ideas that could lead to new therapies that help patients maintain weight, strength, and quality of life.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could reveal targets for new treatments that reduce wasting and improve cancer patients’ ability to tolerate therapy and live better lives.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has defined pathways of muscle and fat loss, but new approaches aim to identify upstream drivers and translate findings into therapies.
Where this research is happening
-
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Cold Spring Harbor, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Janowitz, Tobias — Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
- Study coordinator: Janowitz, Tobias
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.