Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40617409›Full record

ArticleJournal of advanced research2026

Scutellarein attenuates cancer cachexia-induced muscle atrophy via targeted inhibition of the JAK/STAT pathway.

Heeju Ahn, Heeju Kim, Yeyoung Yoon, Minju Jeong, Sieun Lee, Peng Chen, Keke Wang, Sujung Park, Jae Hwan Kim, Jiyun Ahn and 4 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of advanced research, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Parthenolide Attenuates Skeletal Muscle Atrophy Through Regulation of Protein Homeostasis and Inhibition of Inflammation.FASEB journal : official publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology · 2026
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors.

Heeju AhnDepartment of Food Science and Technology, Seoul Women's University, Seoul 01797, Republic of Korea.
Heeju KimDepartment of Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea.
Yeyoung YoonDepartment of Food Science and Technology, Seoul Women's University, Seoul 01797, Republic of Korea.
Minju JeongDepartment of Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea.
Sieun LeeDepartment of Physiology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea.
Peng ChenWest China School of Pharmacy, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
Keke WangChina-US (Henan) Hormel Cancer Institute, Zhengzhou 450003, China.
Sujung ParkDepartment of Food Science and Technology, Seoul Women's University, Seoul 01797, Republic of Korea.
Jae Hwan KimDepartment of Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea.
Jiyun AhnAging Research Group, Korea Food Research Institute, Wanju-gun 55365, Republic of Korea; Division of Food Biotechnology, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34113, Republic of Korea.
Qiantao WangWest China School of Pharmacy, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
Yoonhee JinDepartment of Physiology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea.
Young Jin JangDepartment of Food Science and Technology, Seoul Women's University, Seoul 01797, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: jyj@swu.ac.kr.
Sanguine ByunDepartment of Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea; POSTECH Biotech Center, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang 37673, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: sanguine@yonsei.ac.kr.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionCancer cachexia is a multifaceted metabolic syndrome characterized by severe loss of skeletal muscle and adipose tissue, diminishing both quality of life and survival in cancer patients. Despite its prevalence, effective treatments for cancer cachexia remain limited. The JAK/STAT signaling pathway has been identified as a key driver of muscle atrophy in cachexia.

objectivesThis study aimed to investigate the therapeutic potential of scutellarein, a natural compound, as a JAK kinase inhibitor to prevent and mitigate cancer cachexia-induced muscle atrophy.

methodsIn vitro experiments were conducted using the mouse myoblast cell line C2C12 and human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived skeletal muscle cells. Myotube atrophy was induced using IFN-γ/TNF-α and cancer cell-conditioned media. Two independent mouse models of cancer cachexia were utilized for in vivo analysis. Muscle tissues were examined through transcriptomic and molecular analyses, including RNA sequencing, PCR, and immunoblotting. Structure-activity relationship studies and molecular docking analyses were performed to investigate the binding interaction of scutellarein with JAK kinases.

resultsThrough a chemical library screen, we identified scutellarein as a potent JAK kinase inhibitor. Scutellarein effectively mitigated myotube atrophy by inhibiting protein degradation and promoting protein synthesis in C2C12 and hiPSC-derived muscle cells. In two distinct mouse models of cancer cachexia, scutellarein treatment significantly reduced muscle wasting, improved muscle strength and function, and countered fat depletion. Transcriptomic and molecular analyses of muscle tissues further demonstrated that scutellarein inhibited activation of JAK/STAT pathways and restored suppression of myogenesis and mitochondrial biogenesis. Structure-activity relationship analyses further revealed critical hydroxyl group positions essential for JAK binding.

conclusionCollectively, our findings suggest scutellarein as a promising candidate for the prevention and treatment of cancer cachexia, providing a novel therapeutic approach to address this critical unmet need in cancer care.

Indexed as

CachexiaJanus Kinase InhibitorsJanus KinasesMuscular AtrophyNeoplasmsSTAT Transcription FactorsAnimalsCell LineDisease Models, AnimalHumansInduced Pluripotent Stem CellsMaleMiceMolecular Docking SimulationMuscle Fibers, SkeletalMuscle, SkeletalJanus Kinase InhibitorsJanus KinasesSTAT Transcription FactorsCancer cachexiaJanus kinaseMuscle atrophyScutellareinSignal transducers and activators of transcriptionSkeletal muscle

Identifiers

PMID40617409
PMCPMC13000954

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.