Animal studyindependent cross-checkabstract checked I-CAN-109 standard review
Stress hormones help drive cancer wasting in mice
Cancer- and endotoxin-induced cachexia require intact glucocorticoid signaling in skeletal muscle.
Overview
Braun TP et al.. FASEB J 2013 · PMID 23733748 · DOI 10.1096/fj.13-230375
Mice lacking glucocorticoid receptors in muscle lost 77% less muscle when they had tumours.
Does the study support the specific claim? Partly · Methodological quality: moderate
Plain-language summary
Study explained simply
- What did the researchers want to find out?
Test role of glucocorticoids in cachexia.
- How was the study done?
Knockout mouse experiments.
- How many people, animals or samples were studied?
Mice.
- What was actually found?
Glucocorticoid signalling needed for much of the wasting.
- How large was the observed effect?
77% less atrophy.
- What do the results mean in everyday life?
Hormones are part of how cancer causes wasting.
- What are the study's limitations?
Mouse data.
- What does it say about Elawady's specific claim?
Partly supports the hormonal idea, not the conclusion.
- Do the results apply to Germany and Europe?
Low.
- What can explicitly not be concluded from this study?
Effects in humans.
Scientific in-depth review
1. Full reference
- Authors
- Braun TP et al.
- Journal
- FASEB J
- Year
- 2013
- Identifier
- PMID 23733748 DOI 10.1096/fj.13-230375
- Verification
- verified – PubMed efetch 2026-10-26 + Crossref
- Retracted
- no
- Corrections
- none
- Extent checked
- abstract only
- Conflicts of interest and funding
NIH and CIHR grants (PubMed record)
2. Research question
Do inflammation-induced and cancer-induced muscle atrophy require glucocorticoid signalling in muscle?
3. Study design and population
- Study design
- Animal study – Animal experimental study (conditional knockout mice)
- Population
Mice (muscle-specific glucocorticoid receptor knockout) with LPS or tumour
- Country
USA
- Period
Published 2013
- Sample size
not stated in abstract
- Inclusion and exclusion criteria
not stated
4. Methods and endpoints
- Exposure / intervention
Deletion of glucocorticoid receptor in muscle
- Comparator
Control mice
- Endpoints
Skeletal muscle atrophy
- Statistical methods
not stated in abstract
5. Actual results
- Results
Muscle-specific glucocorticoid receptor deletion gave 71% protection against LPS-induced atrophy; knockout mice had 77% less muscle atrophy in response to tumour growth.
- Absolute risks
not applicable
- Authors' conclusion
Glucocorticoids are a major determinant of inflammation-induced atrophy and play a critical role in cancer cachexia.
6. Strengths
- Genetic causal design
7. Weaknesses
- Mouse model
- Does not address cause of death in humans
8. Risk of bias
- Orienting tool
- none applicable
- Type of assessment
- simplified assessment (abstract only)
- Full formal assessment
- no
- Overall risk of bias
- not assessable
- Rationale
Animal study.
9. Assessment of the statistical interpretation
Large effect sizes in mice; transferability to humans uncertain.
10. Relevance to the specific claim
Supports a hormonal (glucocorticoid) mechanism within cancer wasting - a kernel of Elawady's 'cortisone' remark - while showing the process is triggered by the tumour.
11. Independent contrary findings
In this model the tumour drives the glucocorticoid response; it does not show that hormones rather than cancer cause death.
12. Transferability to Germany and Europe
Not applicable (animal).
13. Overall methodological judgement
Mechanistic support for the hormonal part; does not support the conclusion.
| Multidimensional assessment | |
|---|---|
| Authenticity of the source | verified |
| Methodological quality | moderate |
| Risk of bias | not assessable |
| Precision of results | not applicable |
| Directness | very indirect |
| Reproducibility | unknown |
| Consistency with the overall evidence | consistent |
| Regional transferability | low |
| Adequacy of the interpretation (by the archive) | not applicable |
14. Open questions
Human relevance.
15. Linked fact checks
- Cancer patients do not die of cancer itself but of wasting and cortisone (hormonal disturbance). – Studies with mixed or unclear results