Onset of Muscle Protein Loss in Mouse Tumor Models

Research using non-cachectic and cachectic mouse tumor models showed that soon after inoculation of tumors skeletal muscle starts losing proteins regardless whether a loss in body weight also occurs (cachectic model) or it remains constant (non-cachectic model). The loss of muscle proteins was exacerbated by chemotherapy.

Application of Mouse Data to the Human Cancer Patients

1. It is very likely that the loss of skeletal muscle proteins in human cancer patients follows a similar pattern found in the mouse tumor models, i.e. in case of all cancer patients it starts early when the tumor is still small.

2. The above scenario would require that as soon as the tumor detected, all cancer patients should be treated with a drug which can reduce or even prevent loss of muscle proteins thereby enhancing the efficacy of cancer therapy.

3. Presently no such drug is available in the clinical practice.

4. CanCure’s scientists discovered that early application of a non-toxic human protein (ZKCPr1) with about 10 days of half-life time in the human circulation prevented significant reduction of skeletal muscle proteins both in non-cachectic and cachectic mouse tumor models. Chemotherapy further increased the loss of muscle proteins; such loss was also greatly reduced by the protein.

Conclusions

1. Tumors cause loss of skeletal muscle proteins very early in both non-cachectic and cachectic mouse models and by implication also in human cancer patients.

2. Human cancer patients need to be treated as soon as the tumor detected.

3. ZKCPr1 is a potential candidate for reducing/preventing the loss of muscle proteins and muscle strength in cancer patients.