Probing cancer cachexia-anorexia: recent results with knockout, transgene and polymorphisms

Purpose of review Cancer anorexia-cachexia refers to a debilitating state of cancer patients, the pathogenesis of which is still fully unknown. The article reviews recent research into the role of inflammatory mediators and cytokine gene polymorphisms in the pathogenesis of cancer cachexia. Recent findings Using transgenic mice, recent studies demonstrate that inflammatory mediators play an important role in the cancer cachexia development. Preliminary association studies in unrelated individuals exhibit that cytokine gene polymorphisms are related to cancer cachexia susceptibility. Summary Although its pathogenesis is not fully known, inflammatory mediators have been involved in cancer cachexia. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms in genes coding inflammatory cytokines are likely to have played some role in cancer susceptibility. It is of great essentiality to further probe cancer cachexia-anorexia.