PREreview of Cancer causes dysfunctional insulin signaling and glucose transport in a muscle-type specific manner

This paper shows how cancer is affecting insulin-dependent glucose transport in oxidative and glycolytic muscles (in-vitro assay for glucose transport). The findings are interesting and show that cancer is causing dysfunctional insulin signaling in a fiber type-specific manner i.e., specifically dysfunctional in oxidative fibers. There are still some missing links in the study that can be fulfilled to get an even clearer picture of the process.

As the study is limited to two muscle groups only. Understanding the glucose assay as Soleus and EDL are the ones used frequently for such assay due to their shapes still western blots can be performed on other muscle groups also.

In Figure 1 they only show body weight. It would have been great if they check the weight of different muscles also (Soleus, EDL, T.A. etc.).

 In Figure 1 they also report spleen weight and take it as a readout for precachexia, elevated inflammation. There is no other readout supporting that statement.

Also, there is no data for inflammation reports in muscles also. As there might be a possibility of cachexia leading to muscle weight loss therefore muscle weight data is important. And that can also show if there is a direct effect that is leading to further disruption of insulin signaling.

The changes in GLUT4 levels in soleus are significant but minimal as per their statement. While the change in glucose transport is more prominent. So, it might not be a consequence of just GLUT4.

Further, there has been no reporting of fiber typing in soleus and EDL as it might change during the course of the experiment (21 days). Fatty acid metabolism might have been explored more as only one protein was screened (FATP4).

Other findings such as AMPK activation only in EDL muscle need to be further examined.

Overall, the paper's findings are interesting and can be explored further to understand the full process deeply. It might also lead to some interventions helping muscles during Cachexia and cancer.

Competing interests

The author declares that they have no competing interests.