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SeminarNeuroscience

Mechanisms Underlying the Persistence of Cancer-Related Fatigue

Elisabeth G. Vichaya
Baylor University
May 23, 2023

Cancer-related fatigue is a prominent and debilitating side effect of cancer and its treatment. It can develop prior to diagnosis, generally peaks during cancer treatment, and can persist long after treatment completion. Its mechanisms are multifactorial, and its expression is highly variable. Unfortunately, treatment options are limited. Our research uses syngeneic murine models of cancer and cisplatin-based chemotherapy to better understand these mechanisms. Our data indicate that both peripherally and centrally processes may contribute to the developmental of fatigue. These processes include metabolic alterations, mitochondrial dysfunction, pre-cachexia, and inflammation. However, our data has revealed that behavioral fatigue can persist even after the toxicity associated with cancer and its treatment recover. For example, running during cancer treatment attenuates kidney toxicity while also delaying recovery from fatigue-like behavior. Additionally, administration of anesthetics known to disrupt memory consolidation at the time treatment can promote recovery, and treatment-related cues can re-instate fatigue after recovery. Cancer-related fatigue can also promote habitual behavioral patterns, as observed using a devaluation task. We interpret this data to suggest that limit metabolic resources during cancer promote the utilization of habit-based behavioral strategies that serve to maintain fatigue behavior into survivorship. This line of work is exciting as it points us toward novel interventional targets for the treatment of persistent cancer-related fatigue.

ePosterNeuroscience

Oxygen matters: Unraveling the role of oxygen in the neuronal response to cisplatin

Jose Manuel Crugeiras Pérez, Aina Calls, Estefanía Contreras, Montse Alemany, Xavier Navarro, Victor J. Yuste, Oriol Casanovas, Esther Udina, Jordi Bruna

FENS Forum 2024

cisplatin coverage

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