A new collaborative study at the Weizmann Institute of Science and the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Centre highlights the crucial role of brain–body crosstalk in health and disease.
Nearly a third of cancer-related deaths are caused by cachexia, a currently incurable metabolic syndrome that involves substantial weight loss, including depletion of muscle mass and body fat.
In the new study, the researchers discovered that one of the reasons for this loss is disrupted communication between the brain and the liver.
When the activity of the vagus nerve, a major axis of brain-liver communication, is dysregulated by cancer-triggered inflammation, the result is damage to liver metabolism and the development of the life-threatening syndrome.
Recently published in Cell, the research team, led by Dr Naama Darzi from Professor Ayelet Erez’s lab at Weizmann and Dr Aliesha Garrett from Professor Xiling Shen’s lab at MD Andreson, showed that targeted blocking of the right vagus nerve – even when performed by non-invasive means – prevented cachexia’s development in mice, enhanced their response to chemotherapy and improved their overall health and survival.
The method, already being tested in clinical trials, offers a new therapeutic approach that may lead to improved quality of life and even survival for cancer patients. Since the method is based on technologies approved for clinical use, it is likely to reach patients relatively soon.
Beyond opening new treatment options for cancer patients, this research demonstrates that the brain-body communication plays a critical role in our health and disease.
