An immunological panacea for cancer-related cachexia

Cancer cachexia, responsible for up to 30% of cancer deaths, has transitioned conceptually from a mere nutritional deficit into a highly coordinated, multi-organ immunometabolic network that systematically dismantles host homeostasis. This review synthesizes the paradigm-shifting discoveries that position the immune system as the central conductor of tissue wasting. We delineate how redundant inflammatory cascades, neuro-immune circuits, and local cellular plasticity converge to drive muscle and adipose catabolism. Furthermore, we dissect the metabolic competition for nutrients between tumor cells and host immunity, which accelerates structural degradation. Finally, we highlight how single-cell multiomics, spatial transcriptomics, and artificial intelligence are redefining clinical stratification, shifting the therapeutic horizon toward individualized, multi-node immunometabolic interventions, thereby providing a theoretical framework for the management of cachectic wasting syndrome.