Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42045191›Full record

ArticleNature communications2026

Sarcopenia promotes tumorigenesis by disrupting NOTCH-SDC2-regulated biogenesis of muscle-derived extracellular vesicles.

Kah Yong Goh, Wen Xing Lee, Qian Gou, Sze Mun Choy, Shi Chee Ong, Priya D Gopal Krishnan, Huaxin Wang, Lewin Raymarc Roldan Turqueza, Qian Hui Tan, Kenon Chua and 4 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 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. Review
  2. Article
  3. Review
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.

Kah Yong Goh *Program in Cancer and Stem Cell Biology, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore.
Wen Xing Lee *Program in Cancer and Stem Cell Biology, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore.
Qian GouProgram in Cancer and Stem Cell Biology, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore.
Sze Mun ChoyProgram in Cancer and Stem Cell Biology, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore.
Shi Chee OngProgram in Cancer and Stem Cell Biology, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore.
Priya D Gopal KrishnanProgram in Cancer and Stem Cell Biology, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore.
Huaxin WangProgram in Cancer and Stem Cell Biology, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore.
Lewin Raymarc Roldan TurquezaProgram in Cancer and Stem Cell Biology, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore.
Qian Hui TanProgram in Cancer and Stem Cell Biology, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore.
Kenon ChuaProgram in Cancer and Stem Cell Biology, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore.
Shang LiProgram in Cancer and Stem Cell Biology, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6226-3362
Jun NishiyamaProgram in Neuroscience and Behavioural Disorders, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3627-8114
Nathan HarmstonMolecular Biosciences Division, Cardiff School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8589-2938
Hong-Wen TangProgram in Cancer and Stem Cell Biology, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore. hongwen.tang@duke-nus.edu.sg.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8347-9891

Funding

Ministry of Education - Singapore (MOE) 2022-MOET1-0004Ministry of Education - Singapore (MOE) FY2025-MOET1-0004National Research Foundation Singapore (National Research Foundation-Prime Minister's office, Republic of Singapore) NRF-NRFF12- 2020-0008
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Sarcopenia is an age-related condition characterized by loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength and is associated with increased cancer incidence and mortality, yet how muscle decline promotes tumorigenesis remains unclear. Here, we show that skeletal muscle functions as an anti-tumor organ by secreting extracellular vesicles (EVs) that suppress tumor growth. Using Drosophila melanogaster and mouse cancer models, we demonstrate that muscle-derived EVs inhibit tumorigenesis. In contrast, sarcopenic muscle exhibits reduced EV secretion and altered EV cargo, resulting in loss of tumor-suppressive activity. We identify miR-7a-5p as a tumor-suppressive microRNA enriched in EVs from healthy muscle but diminished with aging, where it restrains tumor growth by inhibiting TEAD1 signaling. Mechanistically, muscle EV biogenesis is regulated by a NOTCH-SDC2 pathway that declines with age but is reactivated by exercise. Together, these findings define a muscle-to-tumor communication axis with therapeutic potential.

Indexed as

CarcinogenesisDrosophila ProteinsExtracellular VesiclesMuscle, SkeletalReceptors, NotchSarcopeniaAgingAnimalsDrosophila melanogasterFemaleHumansMaleMiceMicroRNAsSignal TransductionTranscription FactorsDrosophila ProteinsMicroRNAsReceptors, NotchTranscription Factors

Identifiers

PMID42045191
PMCPMC13324703

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Registered trials

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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.