{"id":33768,"date":"2026-01-27T11:20:30","date_gmt":"2026-01-27T10:20:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/montpellier-cancer.com\/?p=33768"},"modified":"2026-01-27T11:29:38","modified_gmt":"2026-01-27T10:29:38","slug":"better-understanding-cancer%e2%80%91associated-cachexia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/montpellier-cancer.com\/en\/better-understanding-cancer%e2%80%91associated-cachexia\/","title":{"rendered":"Better understanding cancer\u2011associated cachexia."},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-rte  mb-4 md:mb-8  bg-white p-3 md:p-6\">\n           <h2 class=\"font-bold mb-8 text-blue-medium\">Three questions for Alexandre Djiane and Aur\u00e9lien Brun<\/h2>               <div class=\"flex flex-col md:flex-row flex-wrap gap-2 md:gap-3 lg:gap-8\">\n          <div class=\"w-full\">\n            <div class=\"max-w-none prose \"><p class=\"my-2 [&amp;+p]:mt-4 [&amp;_strong:has(+br)]:inline-block [&amp;_strong:has(+br)]:pb-2\">The team of Dr. Alexandre Djiane, within the Institut de Recherche en Canc\u00e9rologie de Montpellier (IRCM) and supported by SIRIC Montpellier Cancer, recently welcomed a new postdoctoral researcher,\u00a0Dr. Aur\u00e9lien Brun. His arrival marks an important step forward in developing research on\u00a0metabolism and cachexia, one of SIRIC\u2019s main research axes. By combining\u00a0clinical,\u00a0nutritional, and\u00a0biological\u00a0expertise, Alexandre Djiane\u2019s team aims to gain deeper insight into the\u00a0metabolic mechanisms underlying cancer-associated cachexia. Through this joint interview, we not only highlight the background of Aur\u00e9lien Brun but also shed light on the research dynamic that drives this team \u2014 one that lies at the heart of SIRIC Montpellier Cancer\u2019s ambition to better understand and counter the\u00a0metabolic alterations linked to tumor progression.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"my-2 [&amp;+p]:mt-4 [&amp;_strong:has(+br)]:inline-block [&amp;_strong:has(+br)]:pb-2\"><strong>Alexandre, could you explain what cachexia is and why it represents such a major issue in cancer?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p class=\"my-2 [&amp;+p]:mt-4 [&amp;_strong:has(+br)]:inline-block [&amp;_strong:has(+br)]:pb-2\">\nCachexia is a systemic syndrome often associated with\u00a0<strong>advanced cancers<\/strong>\u00a0but also with other chronic diseases. It manifests as a significant\u00a0<strong>loss of body weight<\/strong>, particularly\u00a0<strong>skeletal muscle mass<\/strong>, which directly impacts a patient\u2019s ability to endure treatment. A patient suffering from severe cachexia sees their\u00a0<strong>survival chances cut in half<\/strong>. Although this phenomenon has been recognized since the 1950s, it wasn\u2019t until\u00a0<strong>2011<\/strong>\u00a0that a consensual medical definition was established. The\u00a0<strong>World Health Organization (WHO)<\/strong>\u00a0now recognizes cachexia as a disease in its own right, paving the way for\u00a0<strong>dedicated therapeutic strategies<\/strong>. However, simply increasing caloric intake is not sufficient:\u00a0<strong>muscle loss is multifactorial and varies between patients<\/strong>. Our research, therefore, aims to better understand the diversity of the\u00a0<strong>biological mechanisms<\/strong>\u00a0involved and to identify\u00a0<strong>biomarkers<\/strong>\u00a0that could predict the onset of this condition.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"my-2 [&amp;+p]:mt-4 [&amp;_strong:has(+br)]:inline-block [&amp;_strong:has(+br)]:pb-2\"><strong>Aur\u00e9lien, could you tell us about your background before joining Alexandre Djiane\u2019s team at SIRIC Montpellier Cancer?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p class=\"my-2 [&amp;+p]:mt-4 [&amp;_strong:has(+br)]:inline-block [&amp;_strong:has(+br)]:pb-2\">\nI am a\u00a0<strong>trained dietitian<\/strong>\u00a0and initially worked in\u00a0<strong>therapeutic patient education<\/strong>, coordinating, under the supervision of\u00a0<strong>Dr. Pierre Senesse at the ICM<\/strong>, a project supported by the\u00a0<strong>Regional Health Agency (ARS)<\/strong>\u00a0focused on\u00a0<strong>enteral and parenteral nutrition<\/strong>. The goal was to help patients gain autonomy in managing their illness, with the support of\u00a0<strong>expert patient groups<\/strong>. I later pursued a\u00a0<strong>Master\u2019s degree<\/strong>\u00a0that led to a\u00a0<strong>PhD carried out between France and Canada<\/strong>, where I collaborated with several research groups, including that of\u00a0<strong>Prof. Vickie Baracos<\/strong>\u00a0at the\u00a0<strong>University of Alberta<\/strong>, one of the world\u2019s leading experts on\u00a0<strong>cancer-associated cachexia<\/strong>. This path naturally led me to join Alexandre\u2019s team at SIRIC, where we share the same goal:\u00a0<strong>improving the quality of life of cancer patients<\/strong>, from early management through to treatment.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"my-2 [&amp;+p]:mt-4 [&amp;_strong:has(+br)]:inline-block [&amp;_strong:has(+br)]:pb-2\"><strong>What are the main objectives of your current research and the next steps in your projects?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p class=\"my-2 [&amp;+p]:mt-4 [&amp;_strong:has(+br)]:inline-block [&amp;_strong:has(+br)]:pb-2\">\nOur priority is to identify\u00a0<strong>early and specific biomarkers<\/strong>\u00a0of cachexia. To achieve this, we have established a\u00a0<strong>Cachexia Biobank (BCB)<\/strong>\u00a0that collects\u00a0<strong>blood samples<\/strong>\u00a0from patients followed both retrospectively and longitudinally. These samples allow us to analyze multiple types of markers \u2014\u00a0<strong>proteins, metabolites, circulating immune cells<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 leveraging the\u00a0<strong>platforms and resources<\/strong>\u00a0of SIRIC Montpellier Cancer. We already have an initial dataset from\u00a0<strong>80 patients<\/strong>, with preliminary analyses underway. At the same time, we are investigating, at the\u00a0<strong>muscle tissue level<\/strong>, the mechanisms of\u00a0<strong>atrophy and catabolism<\/strong>\u00a0to understand how\u00a0<strong>muscle cells respond to tumor-derived stimuli<\/strong>. Ultimately, our dual objective is to\u00a0<strong>predict the onset of cachexia more accurately<\/strong>\u00a0and to\u00a0<strong>lay the groundwork for therapeutic approaches capable of slowing its progression<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n          <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n          <\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":102,"featured_media":33765,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[39,29,31],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Better understanding cancer\u2011associated cachexia. - SIRIC<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/montpellier-cancer.com\/en\/better-understanding-cancer\u2011associated-cachexia\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Better understanding cancer\u2011associated cachexia. - 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