Important Cause of Cachexia Discovered; Cytokine May Treat Obesity, Too

The cachexia (anorexia and weight loss) seen with cancer has been associated with several cytokines, particularly interleukin (IL)-6. An international team reports that a less-well-known cytokine, macrophage inhibitory cytokine-1 (MIC-1), may be particularly important.

When human prostate cancer cells secreting MIC-1 were placed under the skin of nude mice, the mice promptly became cachectic. Monoclonal antibodies to MIC-1 reversed the anorexia and weight loss. Normal mice injected with recombinant MIC-1, and transgenic mice that overexpressed MIC-1, also developed cachexia.

Because MIC-1 is overexpressed in human prostate, colon, pancreas, and breast cancers, the team examined the relevance of the mouse studies to humans. Prostate cancer pat…