MicroRNAs in Skeletal Muscle and Hints on Their Potential Role in Muscle Wasting During Cancer Cachexia

Abstract

Cancer-associated cachexia is a heterogeneous, multifactorial syndrome characterized by systemic inflammation, unintentional weight loss, and profound alteration in body composition. The main feature of cancer cachexia is represented by the loss of skeletal muscle tissue, which may or may not be accompanied by significant adipose tissue wasting. Such phenotypic alteration occurs as the result of concomitant increased myofibril breakdown and reduced muscle protein synthesis, actively contributing to fatigue, worsening of quality of life, and refractoriness to chemotherapy. According to the classical view, this condition is primarily triggered by interactions between specific tumor-induced pro-inflammatory cytokines and their cognate receptors expressed on the myocyte membrane. This causes a shift in gene expression of muscle cells, eventually leading to a pronounced catabolic condition and cell death. More recent studies, however, have shown the involvement of regulatory non-coding RNAs in the outbreak of cancer cachexia. In particular, the role exerted by microRNAs is being widely addressed, and several mechanistic studies are in progress. In this review, we discuss the most recent findings concerning the role of microRNAs in triggering or exacerbating muscle wasting in cancer cachexia, while mentioning about possible roles played by long non-coding RNAs and ADAR-mediated miRNA modifications.