Development of a traditional Chinese medicine-based agent for the treatment of cancer cachexia

Authors
KC Wu, PC Chu, YJ Cheng et al

Lab
School of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan

Journal
Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle

Abstract
We developed an integrated, multi-tiered strategy involving both in vitro and in vivo muscle atrophy platforms to identify traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)-based anti-cachectic agents. In the initial screening, we used inflammatory cytokine-induced atrophy of C2C12 myotubes as a phenotypic screening platform to assess the protective effects of TCMs. The selected TCMs were then evaluated for their abilities to protect Caenorhabditis elegans from age-related reduction of mobility and contractility, followed by the C-26 colon adenocarcinoma mouse model of cachexia to confirm the anti-muscle atrophy effects (body/skeletal muscle weights, fibre size distribution, grip strengths, and serum IL-6). Transcriptome analysis, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, and immunoblot ting were performed to gain understanding of the potential mechanism(s) by which effective TCM protected against C26 tumour-induced muscle atrophy

BIOSEB Instruments Used:
Grip strength test (BIO-GS3)