Lung cancer cachexia - molecular understanding will guide clinical management

PhD defence by Jonas Sørensen

Assessment Committee

Associate professor Andreas Mæchel Fritzen, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen (Chairperson)
Professor Niels Jessen, Aarhus University
Associate professor Eric Roeland, Oregon Health and Science University

Supervisors

Associate Professor Lykke Sylow
Seppo Wang Langer
Professor Geana Paula Kurita

Department

Department of Biomedical Sciences

Graduate Programme

Clinical Cancer Research

Place

The defence is conducted as a hybrid defence.

To attend the defence in person:
Building: Panum Instituttet - Mærsk, Room: 7.15.92,
Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200 København N

To attend the defence online:
Please follow the link to attend the defence online: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/392722757172307?p=WsMu7U5ZrxXth8DaFz
MeetingID, if relevant: 392 722 757 172 307
Password, if relevant: W9A5BE2F

Email address to gain access to the thesis: jonas.soerensen@sund.ku.dk.
You will either receive a copy of the thesis or be informed where you can read a physical copy.
Recipients of copies of the thesis are not allowed to share or distribute it due to copyright compliance.

Short description of the thesis

The overarching aim of this PhD project was to elucidate the metabolic and molecular dysregulations underlying lung cancer cachexia and its associated symptoms, with the goal of identifying novel therapeutic targets.
Patients affected by cancer often experience significant weight loss, which includes both loss of muscle and fat mass. The condition is called cachexia-associated cachexia, and is associated with anorexia, reduced functional capacity, reduced quality of life, increased treatment-related toxicity, and reduced survival.
The collective findings of this thesis argue for a conceptual shift in our understanding of CAC. Our results redirect the focus from systemic insulin resistance toward a landscape dominated by proteomic instability (specifically the SAA axis) and impaired muscle homeostasis (centered on calcium regulation).