“I am very grateful for VeloSano,” says Srinivasan Dasarathy, MD. “Because of this very generous support, we are able to do these experiments, and hopefully, this results in a major NIH grant.”
Cancer patients who exercise tend to live longer, have less advanced disease and respond to chemotherapy better, according to recent studies. But why is that? A Cleveland Clinic cancer researcher has dedicated his life to the answer.
Srinivasan Dasarathy, MD, has studied liver cancer for more than 30 years. One of the major consequences of liver disease is sarcopenia (loss of muscle mass and strength). This makes matters worse for patients undergoing treatment. His research has identified that the skeletal muscle itself is an organ that secretes a number of molecules that may regulate responses to cancer cells.
“Skeletal muscle is doing something way beyond just movement,” says Dr. Dasarathy. “What we’ve seen is that muscles can actually make chemicals and release them into the bloodstream, and this can affect other organs.”
Through laboratory research, Dr. Dasarathy hopes to identify which molecules are most beneficial in altering responses to cancer treatment and improve upon those benefits. The goal is to create these molecules and mass-produce them for clinical use.
“What I am doing has applications well beyond liver cancer and can be used for any cancer,” says Dr. Dasarathy. “It’s not just for me but for people all over the world so that they can work on identifying novel ways to cure cancer.”