鈥淭he power of mind鈥� has long been a calling card of herbalists and mystics of all stripes. Most often, it should be taken with a big grain of salt. This week At the Lab, CSHL Professor Bo Li discusses new scientific research that could bring us closer to understanding the true connections between mind and body.
Read the related story: How to stop cancer cachexia? Start at the top
Transcript
Sara Giarnieri: You鈥檙e now At the Lab with 黑料吃瓜资源. My name is Sara Giarnieri. And this week At the Lab, 鈥淐leanup on IL-6.鈥�
SG: That鈥檚 IL as in interleukin. We鈥檒l get to that in a minute. But first, another common expression.
SG: Say what you will about the phrase 鈥渕ind over matter.鈥� New research from CSHL Professor Bo Li suggests that the connections between the brain and body may in fact be tighter than expected. And that could have big implications for cancer medicine.
SG: Li鈥檚 study focused on a lethal disease called cachexia, most often seen in late-stage cancer patients. It鈥檚 one of those medical conditions you might already know about without knowing its name. Li explains:
Bo Li: It occurs in a lot of cancer patients. In fact, most people with cancer die of cachexia instead of the tumor itself. And if we can somehow prevent or treat this syndrome, it will allow the patient to survive longer. The patient can undergo other therapies to treat the tumor. So, I think it鈥檚 going to have a big impact for many people.
SG: The idea is that many patients who develop cachexia can鈥檛 stand up to chemotherapy, radiation, or even surgery. So, treating or preventing cachexia could help ensure that they can get treatment.
SG: But where does IL-6 come in?
BL: Yeah, it鈥檚 a great question. Cancer cachexia has been studied for a long time. It has been known that interleukin-6 is important, but people don鈥檛 know why. We set out to study whether it is important for engaging the brain during cancer.
SG: Li and his colleagues identified the specific neural receptors in the brain that IL-6 overstimulates.
BL: And this is critical for the development of cachexia.
SG: So, figure out how to target the IL-6 receptors and you may someday be able to stop cachexia. As amazing as that sounds, this could be the start of something even more remarkable.
BL: It gives us an example of how disease is influenced by the brain. Simply changing a small number of neurons in the brain has a profound effect on whole-body physiology. So, theoretically, it鈥檒l give us some understanding of how the brain really interacts with the body.
SG: That understanding could change how we think about the whole human experience. Thanks, IL-6!
SG: And thank you for joining us At the Lab. Please remember to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and visit us at CSHL.edu for more fascinating science stories like this one. For 黑料吃瓜资源, I鈥檓 Sara Giarnieri, and I鈥檒l see you next time At the Lab.