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Message from the Chair

Landmark Nature Publication Showcases Excellence in the Department of Oncology

The Department of Oncology, ß÷ßäÉçÇø, is proud to celebrate a landmark achievement: the publication of in Nature, led by Dr. Vickie Baracos and colleagues.

This groundbreaking study presents the first comprehensive transcriptomic atlas of human skeletal muscle in cancer cachexia. Through advanced sequencing of biopsies from patients with colorectal and pancreatic cancer, the research team identified two distinct molecular subtypes of muscle, one linked to severe weight loss, muscle fiber atrophy, and reduced survival. By uncovering the complex RNA regulatory networks that drive cachexia, the study establishes a new framework for biomarker discovery and therapeutic development with profound implications for oncology care.

Equally significant, this work exemplifies the Department’s academic mission of integrating world-class research, education, and clinical care. Graduate students and trainees were deeply involved in this project, gaining advanced expertise in translational oncology, bioinformatics, and molecular medicine. The open-source skeletal muscle RNAome dataset created will serve as a lasting resource for the scientific and educational community. Clinically, the findings pave the way for personalized approaches to supportive care that can improve treatment outcomes, survival, and quality of life for patients living with cancer.

This Nature publication is a milestone for our Department and reflects our collective commitment to advancing cancer research, training future leaders, and improving care for patients across ß÷ßäÉçÇø, Canada, and beyond.

Congratulations to Dr. Vickie Baracos and her team on this outstanding accomplishment.

Frank Wuest, PhD / Dr. rer. nat. habil.
Professor and Chair, Department of Oncology
The Dianne and Irving Kipnes Chair in Radiopharmaceutical Sciences

“This is a landmark study in the pursuit of the mechanisms of cancer-associated muscle wasting, opening new insights into its underlying pathophysiology. The Department of Oncology and Cross Cancer Institute provided the fertile environment for key collaborations to ignite, with cancer surgeons, and experts in molecular profiling and machine learning, and muscle morphology and cell biology.” 

Vickie Baracos