A dietary switch promotes sensory neuron–dependent cancer-associated cachexia

M Michael Cross (Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.) S Stefan Kotschi (Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.) W Warren Wu (Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.) F Fedra Luciano-Mateo (Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.) Y Young-Yon Kwon (Department of Molecular Metabolism, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.) E Ezequiel Dantas (Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.) T Taha Niazi (Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.) S Shijia Chen (Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.) A Ali Rashidfarrokhi R Ray Pillai J Jack Sanford (Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.) J Jeshua Kim (Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.) J Juliya Hsiang (Department of Molecular Metabolism, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.) B Begoña Gamallo-Lana A Adam C. Mar Y Yuan Hao S Sahith Rajalingam A Annie Huang (Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.) J Jackie Shan (Department of Neuroscience, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.) H Habon A. Issa (Department of Neuroscience, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.) M Maria Gomez (Rutgers Cancer Institute, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA.) A Alice R. Wang (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, USA.) X Xiang Zhao T Tobias Janowitz E Eileen White Y Yin Liu K Kwok-Kin Wong L Leopoldo N. Segal (Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.) S Sheng Hui M Marcus D. Goncalves (Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.) R Robert C. Froemke T Thales Papagiannakopoulos

Abstract

Sickness behaviors are common in cancer-associated cachexia and affect up to half of lung cancer patients. We demonstrate that among the most common cancer mutations, loss of liver kinase B1 ( Lkb1 ) promotes the development of cachexia in preclinical models of lung cancer. In an effort to improve caloric intake with an obesogenic high-fat diet, we paradoxically observed worsened cachexia-associated sickness. We found that local production of prostaglandin E2 (PGE 2 ), rather than circulating factors, promotes sickness and that genetic, dietary, and pharmacological inhibition of tumor-derived PGE 2 suppresses sickness and cachexia. Notably, we demonstrate that lung sensory neuron abrogation prevents PGE 2 -dependent cachexia. Our study establishes localized tumor-derived signals to sensory neurons, rather than circulating factors, as drivers of cachexia and highlights a previously unknown role of the peripheral nervous system in cancer cachexia.

Article Details

Journal Science
Volume / Issue Vol. 393, Issue 6806
Published July 02, 2026
Pages 90-97
ISSN 0036-8075
Publisher American Association for the Advancement of Science

Journal Info

Science

American Association for the Advancement of Science

ISSN: 0036-8075 Social Sciences

Authors (32)

M

Michael Cross

Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.

S

Stefan Kotschi

Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.

W

Warren Wu

Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.

F

Fedra Luciano-Mateo

Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.

Y

Young-Yon Kwon

Department of Molecular Metabolism, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.

E

Ezequiel Dantas

Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.

T

Taha Niazi

Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.

S

Shijia Chen

Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.

A

Ali Rashidfarrokhi

R

Ray Pillai

J

Jack Sanford

Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.

J

Jeshua Kim

Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.

J

Juliya Hsiang

Department of Molecular Metabolism, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.

B

Begoña Gamallo-Lana

A

Adam C. Mar

Y

Yuan Hao

S

Sahith Rajalingam

A

Annie Huang

Department of Pathology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.

J

Jackie Shan

Department of Neuroscience, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.

H

Habon A. Issa

Department of Neuroscience, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.

M

Maria Gomez

Rutgers Cancer Institute, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA.

A

Alice R. Wang

Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, USA.

X

Xiang Zhao

T

Tobias Janowitz

E

Eileen White

Y

Yin Liu

K

Kwok-Kin Wong

L

Leopoldo N. Segal

Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.

S

Sheng Hui

M

Marcus D. Goncalves

Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.

R

Robert C. Froemke

T

Thales Papagiannakopoulos