Understanding how muscle wasting in cancer might start in a fruit-fly model
Official title: Assessing if tumor induced muscle cachexia is initiated by defects in Myosin Heavy Chain production and localization in a Drosophila tumor model
Funded at Sam Houston State University · NIH-11380906 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are studying why cancer causes muscle loss by using a fruit-fly model to see if problems with a muscle protein, myosin heavy chain, kick off cachexia.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Sam Houston State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Huntsville, United States) |
| Project start | September 15, 2023 |
| Project end | July 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $171,250 |
| NIH project number | 5R16GM150753-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11380906 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with cancer who experience or are at risk for cachexia could benefit from future diagnostics or therapies informed by these findings.
✕Less likely to help
Direct benefit to patients is not expected during the early basic-science work, though long-term implications may influence future treatments.
What this research studies
This project uses Drosophila to explore how cancer-related muscle wasting begins, focusing on myosin heavy chain production and where it goes in the muscle. The team will compare early vs. late changes in tissue during tumor development and test whether the Hippo signaling pathway influences these steps. They will use established staining and imaging methods and new tools that allow tissue-specific genetic changes to pinpoint causal events. Undergraduate students will actively participate, gaining hands-on training while contributing to a question that could lead to earlier diagnostics for cancer cachexia.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, findings could point to earlier diagnostic markers and new avenues to prevent or slow muscle loss in cancer patients.
How similar studies have gone: Previous models have shown that muscle wasting involves complex signaling; this study aims to clarify early events in a fruit-fly model, which is a novel approach for this specific question.
Where this research is happening
-
Sam Houston State University
Huntsville, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Atkins, Mardelle Renee — Sam Houston State University
- Study coordinator: Atkins, Mardelle Renee
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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Adipose tissue and its role in lung cancer cachexia
A new NIH grant explores how fat tissue around the body may feed lung cancer growth and drive weight loss, with the aim of finding ways to help patients who struggle with cancer cachexia.
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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.
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Innate inflammatory control of cachexia in chronic disease
A research team is studying how inflammation drives cachexia in chronic disease using a parasite model to find therapies that could protect lean body mass without raising infection risk.
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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.
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.