Lab Update – Thomas O’Connell, PhD

Cachexia Research, Innovation and Therapy advancing at IU School of Medicine Laboratory of Thomas O’Connell

The laboratory of associate professor Thomas O’Connell, PhD, focuses on applying integrated metabolomics analyses to develop new precision diagnostics and determine the metabolic drivers of cancer-associated cachexia and other wasting conditions. Laboratory members investigate the use of specific metabolic reprogramming agents targeted toward the resuscitation of a healthy metabolic phenotype in skeletal muscle while not interfering with and potentially even augmenting the action of chemotherapeutic agents.

There is an increasing recognition that cachexia is a metabolic disorder, characterized by perturbed energy balance and deranged mitochondrial function. The goal in cancer cachexia research is to develop precision based diagnostics and new therapeutic strategies to preserve muscle mass, improve treatment response and ultimately lead to improved cancer outcomes.

In addition to cachexia, the O’Connell Lab is actively engaged in studies of bone metabolism related to aging. Using in vitro and in vivo models, researchers examine novel metabolic pathways involved in muscle-bone cross-talk that can help maintain bone health.