572-The Tumor-Immune-Neural Circuit Driving Cancer Cachexia

Paper Talk · Mar 2, 2026 · 24m

This research identifies a tumor-immune-neural circuit that drives cancer cachexia, a syndrome characterized by severe muscle wasting, fat loss, and appetite suppression. The study demonstrates that tumor cells release CSF1 to recruit macrophages, which then produce the hormone GDF15. This hormone signals through the brain’s GFRAL-RET axis to activate the sympathetic nervous system, releasing norepinephrine that further stimulates tumor growth and wasting in a self-amplifying loop. Researchers found that deleting GDF15 or using pharmacological inhibitors against components like CSF1R or RET…