title: A new look at an old drug for the treatment of cancer cachexia: megestrol acetate.
abstract: Cachexia is a multiorganic syndrome associated with cancer, characterized by body weight loss, muscle and adipose tissue wasting and inflammation, being often associated with anorexia. The aim of the present review is to examine the impact of megestrol acetate in the treatment of cancer cachexia, both at the biochemical and physiological level taking into account new experimental data related to protein muscle metabolism. Based on experimental evidence, it is concluded that megestrol acetate is a good candidate for muscle wasting treatment and future studies addressed at the interaction between the drug and protein turnover in human skeletal muscle should be performed.
authors: Cancer Research Group, Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Diagonal 645, 08028-Barcelona, Spain. jargiles@ub.edu
authors: Josep M
authors: JM
authors: Argilés
authors: Anna
authors: A
authors: Anguera
authors: Britta
authors: B
authors: Stemmler
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002100:Cachexia / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000188:drug therapy; D019290:Megestrol Acetate / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009124:Muscle Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009133:Muscular Atrophy / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D015431:Weight Loss
chemical_list: D009124:Muscle Proteins; D019290:Megestrol Acetate