Lung cancer is linked with cachexia or extreme muscle wasting. A way to counter both tumor growth and cachexia has been found by using tiny fatty compounds called lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) to deliver follistatin messenger RNAdirectly to lung cancer cells via the bloodstream, courtesy of vitronectin, a blood serum protein.
Once inside the tumour, the genetic material directs cancer cells to produce follistatin, which is a key protein that weakens tumor progression and promotes muscle growth. Thus achieves an approximately 2.5-fold greater reduction in tumor burden vis-à-vis conventional LNPs which tend to accumulate in the liver following systemic administration.
