Published in Nature Communications, the study finds that ageing, sarcopenic muscle secretes fewer extracellular vesicles and that those vesicles have lower levels of miR-7a-5p, a microRNA that helps restrain tumour growth. The research involved collaborators from Singapore General Hospital and Cardiff University and was led by a team at Duke-NUS Medical School.
Investigators identified a biological pathway that controls vesicle release. This pathway declines with age but can be reactivated by exercise, and exercise restored the protective effects of muscle-derived vesicles in the study. Assistant Professor Tang Hong-Wen explains that muscle cells use extracellular vesicles to influence other cells and that weakened muscle can change signals in ways that promote tumour growth.
Clinicians note an association between advanced cancer and low muscle mass. Kenon Chua highlights that healthy muscle secretes many important molecules and that resistance and aerobic exercise maintain muscle volume and function. The authors say the direct muscle-to-tumour communication pathway could be a target for therapies to prevent cancer progression. Next steps include validating the findings in human samples and testing whether extracellular vesicles, especially miR-7a-5p, can serve as biomarkers for cancer risk linked to sarcopenia. The research received support from the Singapore Ministry of Education, the Diana Koh Innovative Cancer Research Award, the National Academy of Medicine and the National Research Foundation, Singapore.
Difficult words
- extracellular vesicle — small particle released by cells to send signalsextracellular vesicles, muscle-derived vesicles, vesicles
- sarcopenic — relating to loss of muscle mass and strength
- microRNA — short RNA molecule that regulates gene expressionmiR-7a-5p
- pathway — series of biological steps that produce an effectbiological pathway
- biomarker — measurable sign that indicates disease risk or presencebiomarkers
- reactivate — make a process or pathway active againreactivated
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- How could regular resistance and aerobic exercise change cancer risk in older adults, based on the study's findings?
- What practical challenges might researchers face when trying to use extracellular vesicles or miR-7a-5p as biomarkers in clinics?
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