Researchers at DGIST have developed antibodies that effectively alleviate chemotherapy-induced cancer cachexia, a condition that causes significant weight loss and reduced physical strength as cancer progresses. Led by Professor Kyungmoo Yea of the Department of New Biology, the team's newly developed antibody not only improves the quality of life for cancer patients by increasing their appetite and restoring skeletal muscles and fat tissues but also offers a new approach to anti-cancer treatment by enhancing patient response to continuous anti-cancer therapy.
The research findings were published online on April 5, 2023, in the Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle, and the results are expected to have a significant impact on the direction of future cancer treatment strategies.
Cancer cachexia is a condition that affects cancer patients by causing significant weight loss and reduced physical strength as the disease progresses. Currently, there are no approved therapeutic agents worldwide, and the condition is managed via limited conservative therapy options such as appetite stimulants. However, recent research has identified the GDF15/GFRAL/RET signaling pathway as a key factor in chemotherapy-induced cancer cachexia, offering the possibility of improving cancer cachexia by inhibiting the pathway.
Professor Yea's team observed the GDF15/GFRAL/RET axis that functions independently from the previously identified metabolic pathway. In particular, the team focused on GFRAL as a target for antibody-related therapeutics due to its specific expression in the brainstem. The team confirmed that the antagonistic antibodies can effectively alleviate cancer cachexia caused by the chemotherapeutic agent, cisplatin.
The results demonstrate that GFRAL antagonistic antibodies have high potential for applications beyond cisplatin. For example, they can be used with other chemotherapeutic agents that cause GDF15-mediated cancer cachexia. Moreover, recent studies have reported the expression of GFRAL on the surface of cancer cells and suggested possible roles of the GDF15/GFRAL/RET axis in cancer cell growth and metastasis, leading to new anti-cancer treatment strategies.
Professor Kyungmoo Yea of the Department of New Biology at DGIST stated, "Previous cancer treatment strategies have mainly focused on removing cancer and improving patient survival. New treatment strategies that address quality of life issues, such as the GFRAL antibodies, represent a very new approach in cancer care. This development is expected to have a significant impact on the direction of future cancer treatment strategies."