FRIDAY, Jan. 24, 2003 (HealthDayNews) -- A gene that regulates muscle formation in fruit flies may play an important role in a severe human wasting disorder called cachexia, which is commonly associated with cancer, AIDS and chronic infection.
The study by University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas researchers appears in the Jan. 23 issue of Cell.
The gene, known as a twist, encodes a gene-regulatory protein that controls muscle formation in fruit flies. The researchers wanted to compare the function of that gene in mammals. Working with mice, they found it had a different function than in fruit flies.
Mice that were genetically engineered to lack the twist gene were underweight, frail and developed cachexia.
This finding about the twist gene's role in mammals may provide important information that could help in the development of better drugs to treat cachexia and other conditions in humans.
More information
Here's where you can learn more about cachexia.
