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MicroRNAs as potential therapeutic targets for muscle wasting during cancer cachexia

Anthony J Sannicandro1, Brian McDonagh1, Katarzyna Goljanek-Whysall1,2

  • 1Discipline of Physiology, School of Medicine, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland.

Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care
|February 20, 2020
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

MicroRNAs, regulators of gene expression, are newly identified in human cancer cachexia muscle wasting. These molecules show therapeutic potential for preserving muscle mass and improving patient outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Biomedical Science
  • Molecular Biology
  • Oncology

Background:

  • Cancer cachexia is a complex metabolic condition characterized by significant muscle wasting.
  • Maintaining muscle mass is crucial for improving cancer patients' response to therapy and overall prognosis.
  • Effective therapies for muscle wasting in cancer cachexia are currently limited, representing an unmet clinical need.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the role of microRNAs in cancer cachexia and their therapeutic potential for muscle wasting.
  • To highlight the recent characterization of microRNAs in human cancer cachexia.
  • To discuss microRNAs as potential therapeutic targets for maintaining muscle homeostasis.

Main Methods:

  • Review of current literature on microRNAs, cancer cachexia, and muscle wasting.
  • Analysis of studies demonstrating microRNA changes in muscle of cancer patients.
  • Examination of data from animal models investigating microRNA function in muscle wasting.

Main Results:

  • MicroRNAs have been identified and characterized in the muscle tissue of cancer cachexia patients for the first time.
  • Changes in microRNAs are associated with dysregulated signaling networks contributing to muscle wasting.
  • Studies in animal models confirm that microRNAs regulate muscle mass and strength.

Conclusions:

  • MicroRNAs are promising therapeutic candidates for combating muscle wasting in cancer cachexia.
  • Targeting microRNAs offers a novel strategy to maintain muscle mass during and after cancer treatment.
  • The development of microRNA-based therapeutics could significantly improve patient prognosis and outcomes in cancer cachexia.

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