Chemotherapy may affect muscle cells at lower doses than previously thought

The cancer therapy may also affect the protein building process, not just cause muscles to degrade

Date:November 18, 2021

Source:Penn State

Summary:Previous research has found that chemotherapy can trigger muscle loss in people living with cancer, but a new study out of found it may also affect the way the body builds new muscle — and at lower doses than previously known, having potential implications for treatments and rehab programs.

Excerpt from the Press Release:

Previous research has found that chemotherapy can trigger muscle loss in people living with cancer, but a new study out of Penn State found it may also affect the way the body builds new muscle — and at lower doses than previously known, having potential implications for treatments and rehab programs.

According to the researchers, it was previously known that chemotherapy drugs can affect the mitochondria within cells, which can cause the loss of muscle tissue via a process called oxidative stress.

In their new study, the researchers studied three different chemotherapy drugs in cultured muscle cells at levels too low to trigger oxidative stress. They found that the muscle cells were still affected by the lower levels of drugs — this time by interfering with the process that builds muscle, called protein synthesis.

Gustavo Nader, associate professor of kinesiology, said that while the findings need to be confirmed in humans, they could have implications for cancer treatment in the future.

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