Prevention of cancer induced muscle wasting by polyunsaturated fatty acids

People suffering from cancer often experience loss of muscle which negatively impacts the response to cancer treatments and shortens survival. Several factors are at play to promote muscle loss. We are proposing a more relevant model to study muscle wasting that occurs during cancer treatment by utilizing skeletal muscle biopsy from patients undergoing surgery for cancer. The cells from the muscle sample are cultured in the lab and how they respond to different stimuli will be assessed. For each patients providing muscle, their muscle mass and change in muscle over time is known to allow us to match the behaviour of the muscle cells in the lab to whether the person is gaining or losing muscle mass. We believe it is more relevant to study muscle from humans who have the condition of interest to ensure translatability of findings.

Faculty Supervisor:

Vera Mazurak

Student:

Partner:

Université Clermont-Auvergne

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Agriculture and Food; Health and Related Sciences & Technology

University:

University of Alberta

Program: