Xue Yang, Jianming Wang, Chun-Yuan Chang, Fan Zhou, Juan Liu, Huiting Xu, Maria Ibrahim, Maria Gomez, Grace L Guo, Hao Liu, Wei-Xing Zong, Fredric E Wondisford, Xiaoyang Su, Eileen White, Zhaohui Feng, Wenwei Hu
Cancer cachexia is a systemic metabolic syndrome characterized by involuntary weight loss, and muscle and adipose tissue wasting. Mechanisms underlying cachexia remain poorly understood. Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), a multi-functional cytokine, has been suggested as a cachexia-inducing factor. In a transgenic mouse model with conditional LIF expression, systemic elevation of LIF induces cachexia. LIF overexpression decreases de novo lipogenesis and disrupts lipid homeostasis in the liver. Liver-specific LIF receptor knockout attenuates LIF-induced cachexia, suggesting that LIF-induced functional changes in the liver contribute to cachexia...
January 20, 2024: Nature Communications