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In a new study, researchers have discovered the reason why cancer patients experience an increased loss of strength in addition to weakened bones. This research focused on different cancer treatments and the long-term and short-term effect they might have on bones and the team was able to successfully identify the molecular pathways that lead to increased muscle weakness in cancer patients.
This research focused on different types of cancer and cancer treatments and the long-term and short-term effect they might have on bones, and specifically concentrated on breast, prostate, lung, and multiple myeloma cancers. During their research, they were able to target four different molecular checkpoints with four different drugs to successfully improve muscle function. They discovered that inhibiting TGF-B, a growth factor released by cancer cells that causes bone destruction, helped to improve muscle function in mouse models infected with human cancers.
Theresa Guise, M.D., the Jerry and Peggy Throgmartin Professor of Oncology at the IU School of Medicine and a researcher at the Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center, and lead author of this study, said:
“Advanced cancer often spreads to the bone and patients can have muscle weakness because of that. This weakness can severely reduce the quality of life in patients and increase the risk to fracture bone. We previously showed that when cancer spreads and causes bone destruction it releases growth factors into the circulation. In the present study, we found that these factors can cause muscle weakness.”
In light of these findings, a representative from Cancer Cures Investigated released a statement, saying “This year has been extremely promising, with all of the strides research teams across the country have been able to make in successfully treating cancer from many different angles. We only hope that these successes will spur other teams across the country to make similar discoveries.”
Those interested in learning more should visit http://www.cancercuresinvestigated.com/uncategorized/cancer-and-muscle-loss. While there, readers are invited to take full advantage of the wealth of information available on the company site.
Release ID: 93718