SAN ANTONIO, Texas \u2014 The Mays Cancer Center has awarded a Multi\u2011Program grant to Gang Huang, PhD (MCC and UT Health San Antonio) and Maria Gonzalez Porras, PhD (MCC and University of Texas at San Antonio) for a collaborative project titled \u201cMitophagy\u2019s Role in Adipose Tissue Depletion During Cancer\u2011Associated Cachexia.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cancer\u2011associated cachexia is a metabolic syndrome marked by involuntary weight loss and functional decline. The project will define how defective or excessive mitophagy contributes to adipose tissue wasting, and whether restoring balanced mitochondrial quality control can preserve fat mass and improve systemic metabolism. The team will combine mechanistic models, tissue\u2011level imaging, and metabolic flux analyses, with an eye toward translational targets.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis award accelerates our effort to connect mitochondrial quality control with whole\u2011body wasting,\u201d said Dr. Huang. \u201cWe aim to identify actionable nodes that can be tested preclinically.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Multi\u2011Program mechanism supports cross\u2011institutional, cross\u2011disciplinary projects that unite basic discovery with translational potential. Findings from this work are expected to inform future therapeutic studies for cachexia across tumor types.<\/p>\n
About the Huang Lab<\/strong><\/p>\n The Huang Lab at UT Health San Antonio is a basic and translational cancer research group within the MD Anderson Mays Cancer Center at UT Health San Antonio. Our team integrates hematology and solid tumor biology with immunology and metabolism to uncover mechanisms and design interventions. We advance cell and biologic therapies, including CAR T\u2011cell approaches for solid tumors. We also conduct research in trauma and military health. We move discoveries toward clinical impact through product development and collaborations with clinicians and industry. Education and mentorship are core to our mission. We train students, postdoctoral fellows, and early\u2011career scientists in rigorous, multidisciplinary research. Together, we aim to deliver therapies and technologies that improve patient outcomes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" SAN ANTONIO, Texas \u2014 The Mays Cancer Center has awarded a Multi\u2011Program grant to Gang Huang, PhD (MCC and UT Health San Antonio) and Maria Gonzalez Porras, PhD (MCC and University of Texas at San Antonio) for a collaborative project titled \u201cMitophagy\u2019s Role in Adipose Tissue Depletion During Cancer\u2011Associated Cachexia.\u201d Cancer\u2011associated cachexia is a metabolic […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":101,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"class_list":["post-532","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n