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Cancer metabolism

A waste product’s unexpected role in wasting

Nature Metabolism volume 6, pages 608–609 (2024)Cite this article

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The mechanisms that drive cancer cachexia are unclear. Adipocyte activation of GPR81 by high levels of lactate is now shown to drive adipose tissue browning, thermogenesis and a loss of body weight in mouse models of cancer.

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Fig. 1: Mechanisms and therapeutic opportunities in lactate-driven cachexia.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA

    Jack D. Sanford & Marcus D. Goncalves

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  1. Jack D. Sanford
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  2. Marcus D. Goncalves
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Correspondence to Marcus D. Goncalves.

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Competing interests

M.D.G. reports consulting or advisory roles with Scorpion Therapeutics; stock or other ownership interests in Faeth Therapeutics; honoraria from Novartis AG, Pfizer Inc., and Scorpion Therapeutics; patents, royalties, and other intellectual property with Weill Cornell Medicine. J.D.S declares no competing interests.

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Sanford, J.D., Goncalves, M.D. A waste product’s unexpected role in wasting. Nat Metab 6, 608–609 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s42255-024-01010-1

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