cAMP and mitochondrial dysfunction in cancer cachexia.

A recent study by Angelino et al. uncovered an intracellular signaling pathway involved in musculoskeletal mitochondrial dysfunction in cancer cachexia. Both humans and mice with cancer cachexia display impaired 3',5'-cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)-protein kinase A-cAMP response element-binding protein 1 signaling, which leads to mitochondrial dysfunction. By rescuing this pathway with a phosphodiesterase-4 inhibitor, the authors highlight a potential therapeutic strategy for cancer cachexia.