miR-379-3p counteracts cancer cachexia through regulation of pyrimidinergic receptor, mitochondrial stress and interferon response.
Cancer cachexia is a highly prevalent wasting syndrome in cancer patients. Inflammation is hallmarks of symptomatic cachexia, however early stages of cachexia are not well understood, including differences between biological sexes. In a mouse model of early cachexia, muscle from males showed strong mitochondrial defects, whereas females were characterized by inflammatory and stress response. We demonstrate a novel link between the increase in purinergic receptor P26Y, and dysregulated Ca2+ homeostasis, mitochondrial dysfunction and damage, and inflammation during early stages of cancer cachexia. Low levels of miR-379-3p were associated with poor survival of patients with lung cancer. Restoring miR-379-3p levels in mice prevented loss of muscle mass and function. miR-379-3p targeted P2r6y and restored mitochondrial content and function, inhibited type II interferon response, and regulated the expression of Ca2+-related and apoptotic markers. This supports miR-379-3p as a hub regulating multiple processes underlying cachexia and represent a therapeutic target for cancer patients.