The RNA-binding protein HuR impairs adipose tissue anabolism in pancreatic cancer cachexia

Cachexia, a wasting condition defined by chronic loss of fat and muscle, is a frequent complication of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) that negatively impacts quality of life and confers poor patient survival. Nutritional supplementation cannot fully reverse adipose and muscle tissue wasting, and the mechanisms underlying this phenotype are unclear. This work aims to define the relative contributions of catabolism and anabolism to adipose wasting in PDAC-bearing mice. Human antigen R (HuR) is an RNA-binding protein recently shown to suppress adipogenesis. We hypothesize that fat wasting results from a loss of adipose anabolism driven by increased HuR activity in adipocytes of PDAC mice.