Caloric restriction delays cancer wasting in mice

In an experiment in a genetically engineered mouse model of lung cancer, researchers studied the wasting syndrome known as cachexia. Early metabolic alterations in the blood preceded overt weight loss. Although both cachexia and fasting involve reduced food intake, systemic metabolic changes in cachexia differed, indicating a lack of induction of the normal protective response to negative energy balance. Targeting individual candidate cachexia factors, such as interleukin-6 and tumour necrosis factor, failed to rescue weight loss or prolong survival. In contrast, caloric restriction initiated prior to tumour induction elicited a protective programme during tumour progression. This dietary intervention attenuated inflammatory and breakdown-related gene activity across multiple tissues, preserved lean mass, and prolonged survival.