Abstract
Cancer cachexia displays a complex nature in which systemic inflammation, impaired energy metabolism, loss of muscle and adipose tissues result in unintentional body weight loss. Cachectic patients have a poor prognosis and the presence of cachexia reduces the tolerability of chemo/radio-therapy treatments and it is frequently the primary cause of death in advanced cancer patients. Early detection of this condition could make treatments more effective. However, early diagnostic biomarkers of cachexia are currently lacking. In recent years, although solid biopsy still remains the “gold standard” for diagnosis of cancer, liquid biopsy is gaining increasing interest as a source of easily accessible potential biomarkers. Moreover, the growing interest in circulating microRNAs (miRNAs), has made these molecules attractive for the diagnosis of several diseases, including cancer. Some muscle-derived circulating miRNA might play a pivotal role in the onset/progression of cancer cachexia. This topic is of great interest since circulating miRNAs might be easily detectable by means of liquid biopsies and might allow an early diagnosis of this syndrome. We here summarize the current knowledge on circulating muscular miRNAs involved in muscle atrophy, since they might represent easily accessible and promising biomarkers of cachexia.
Highlights
Cachexia is a multifactorial disorder associated with chronic diseases, such as cancer, chronic heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and chronic kidney disease [1].Cachexia in cancer affects about half of the patients and is the direct cause of death in about 20% of them [2,3,4,5,6,7]
Altered glucose metabolism and insulin resistance are associated with cancer cachexia and their contribution to the progression of skeletal muscle wasting has been reviewed by Masi and collaborators [16,17,18]
MiR423-5p modulates the intramuscular levels of leptin, while a molecular target of miR532-5p is the Neuro Peptide Y Receptor (NPYR), whose down-regulation could contribute to the pathophysiology of cancer cachexia [144]. miRNA424-5p seems to have as molecular targets proteins involved in the rRNA synthesis, modulating the translation machinery [168]
Summary
Cachexia is a multifactorial disorder associated with chronic diseases, such as cancer, chronic heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and chronic kidney disease [1]. In the last ten years, several molecules have been proposed as biomarkers of cachexia including pro-inflammatory cytokines (e.g., interleukine 6, IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor alpha, TNF-α), hormones (e.g., leptin and ghrelin) and peptides such as C-terminal agrin fragment (CAF) [21,22,23]. None of these are specific to this syndrome and none of these fully satisfy the characteristics of a good biomarker in CC [21,22,23]. In the near future, the circulating forms of some of these miRNAs could be exploited as biomarkers of cancer cachexia in liquid biopsies
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
