Fig. 1

Scheme of the most common target tissues compromised during cancer cachexia. Tumor-secreted factors (pro-inflammatory cytokines and pro-cachectic molecules) contribute mainly to loss of skeletal muscle, cardiac muscle, and adipose tissue. Abnormalities are also found in liver, brain, gut, bone and pancreas. aa, amino acids; IL1, interleukin-1; IL6, interleukin-6; TNF-α, tumour necrosis factor alpha; TGFβ, transforming growth factor-β; LIF, leukemia inhibitory factor; TWEAK, TNF-like weak inducer of apoptosis; IFNγ, interferon gamma; EVs, Extracellular Vesicles; lnRNA, long non-coding RNA; NPY, Neuropeptide Y; POMPC, Pro-opiomelanocortin; ZAG, Zinc-α2-glycoprotein; IRS1, Insulin Receptor Substrate 1