ClinicalTrials.gg
Status unknownNCT03551990Updated Jun 11, 2018

Influence of Motor Proteins on Muscle Atrophy in Cancer Patients

An interventional study of whole-body electromyostimulation WB-EMS in Cancer and Muscle Atrophy, sponsored by University of Erlangen-Nürnberg Medical School. Status unknown at 1 site in Germany. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2018-06-11.

Sponsored by University of Erlangen-Nürnberg Medical School · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment

The sponsor has not verified this record recently (last verified May 2018), so the status shown — last known as Recruiting — may be out of date.
Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
420
Allocation
Non-randomized
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
All
01

Study summary

The aim of the study is to investigate the effect of exercise in form of whole-body electromyostimulation (WB-EMS) on early tumor-induced muscular dysfunction. It is anticipated to gain detailed knowledge about composition and metabolism of skeletal muscle cells, and single muscle fiber functionality. To determine key factors leading to impaired force generation and thus decreased muscle strength in cancer patients who are suspected to develop or already show early signs of tumor cachexia is crucial for the establishment of effective cancer treatment. Comparative analysis of skeletal muscle biopsies taken from the abdomen of patients during indicated surgeries will be conducted. The patients will be allocated to the following study groups: a) Study group 1: Patients without cancer, b) Study group 2: Patients with solid tumors who did not perform physical training and c) Study group 3: Patients with solid tumors who executed physical training in form of WB-EMS. The investigation can help to understand skeletal muscle physiology under exercise and to get a better insight into the effects of physical training on early-stage muscle atrophy, both on cellular and molecular level. Initially, it is planned to identify the inflammation and nutrition status of the patients, and to determine skeletal muscle strength. It is anticipated to explore muscle protein composition, particularly myosin to actin ratio and their interaction. Biochemical analysis and the examination of the cellular ultra-structure should enhance the knowledge about the key mechanisms controlling the contractile apparatus of single muscle fibers in order to determine the quality of muscle force. Taken together, these investigations will help to better understand muscle atrophy in advanced cancer patients, and might support the development of targeted anti-cachectic therapies, that can be applied already in early phases of the tumor disease to significantly improve the patients' prognosis and their quality of life.

02

Conditions studied

  • Cancer
  • Muscle Atrophy

Keywords

  • Whole-body electromyostimulation
  • WB-EMS
  • Cancer
  • Muscle atrophy
  • Muscle protein
  • Exercise
  • Muscle fiber
03

In context

Neoplasms

9,610 studies on the registry are indexed under Neoplasms; 2,508 are open to participants now.

This study's planned enrollment of 420 is above the median of 50 across 7,429 interventional studies indexed under Neoplasms.

Browse Neoplasms studies →

Lead sponsor

University of Erlangen-Nürnberg Medical School is the lead sponsor of 275 studies on the registry; 52 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years and older
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
Yes

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

  • Patients ≥ 18 years
  • Solid pancreatic, colorectal, esophageal, gastric and liver tumors under oncological treatment
  • Karnofsky performance index between 50 and 100
  • Loss of body weight (≥ 2 % and \< 5 %, weight before the illness and at study entry)
  • Distinct decrease in muscle force
  • Indication for surgery proximal to the M. rectus abdominis
  • Intervention Group must have an at least 8-week waiting period until the surgery (to conduct WB-EMS)

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Participation in other nutrition or exercise intervention studies
  • Study-independent exercise more than once a week
  • Ingestion of anabolic or dietary supplements
  • Occurrence of heavy cardio-vascular events
  • Epilepsy and other severe neurological disorders
  • Skin lesions in the area of the electrodes
  • Conductive materials or electronical implants in the body (that do not allow electromyostimulation)
  • Pregnancy
  • Chronic diseases (e.g. HIV or Hepatitis C/D/E)
  • Rejection of a muscle biopsy
05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Non-randomized
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
420 participants (estimated)

Study arms

  • No intervention
    Control group; patients without a tumor disease, surgery

    Control group with patients without a tumor disease but with indication for surgery in close proximity to the M. rectus abdominis

  • No intervention
    Control group; tumor patients, surgery

    Control group with patients with solid tumors; patients with pancreatic, colorectal, esophageal, gastric and liver solid tumors with indication for surgery in close proximity to the M. rectus abdominis

  • Experimental
    Intervention group; tumor patients, WB-EMS, surgery

    Intervention group with patients with solid tumors who do perform an 8-week physical training in form of whole-body electromyostimulation (WB-EMS); patients with pancreatic, colorectal, esophageal, gastric and liver solid tumors with indication for surgery in close proximity to the M. rectus abdominis

    Procedure: whole-body electromyostimulation WB-EMS

Interventions

  • Procedurewhole-body electromyostimulation WB-EMS

    Patients of the WB-EMS group will perform whole-body electromyostimulation (WB-EMS) training sessions twice a week over a period of 8 weeks. To allow muscle recovery a break of at least 2 days between the sessions will be scheduled. To adapt the patients to the WB-EMS intervention, the training duration will be gradually increased (week 1, 12 min; increase of 2 min/week; week 5-8, 20 min). WB-EMS training sessions will include light physical exercises according to a video tutorial and individually supervised by certified physio therapists.

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Differences in Myosin:Actin ratio

    Myosin:Actin ratio in the muscle biopsies assessed by protein analysis via Western Blotting.

    Time frame: 8 weeks

  2. Differences in Myosin isoforms

    The Myosin isoforms in the muscle biopsies will be determined by protein expression analysis via Western Blotting.

    Time frame: 8 weeks

  3. Differences in cellular ultra structures

    Cellular ultra structures in the muscle biopsies will be examined using multi-photon microscopy.

    Time frame: 8 weeks

  4. Differences in Force development and Calcium 2+ sensitivity of single muscle fibers

    Force development and Calcium 2+ sensitivity of single muscle fibers from the muscle biopsies will be assessed by in situ biomechanical recording.

    Time frame: 8 weeks

  5. Differences in activation of involved signaling pathways

    Signaling pathways that regulate muscle atrophy will be analyzed by examining protein expression and modification (Western Blotting), and gene expression (quantitative PCR) in the muscle biopsies.

    Time frame: 8 weeks

Secondary outcomes

  1. Differences in inflammatory status

    Pro-inflammatory cytokines

    Time frame: 0 week

  2. Differences in Nutritional risk

    Nutritional Risk Screening-2002

    Time frame: 0 week

07

Study locations

1 of 1 sites recruiting
  • Hector-Center for Nutrition, Exercise and Sports
    Erlangen, Bavaria 91054, Germany
    Recruiting
08

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

09

Timeline

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
ElapsedEstimatedEstimated, not yet reachedSimilar studies: half by the dot; the band is the middle halfHalf of similar studies reached it by the dot; the band is the middle half, from a quarter to three quarters

Started May 2017 (actual). Primary completion is estimated for Dec 2021, 55 months after the start.

Of 1,358 non-industry interventional studies with no phase under Neoplasms, half reached primary completion within 37 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 17 and three quarters within 71. This study's planned 55 months is above that.

Counting every sponsor, half of 1,404 studies reached it within 38 months; a quarter within 17 and three quarters within 71.

Neoplasms covers many different conditions, not one, so the studies compared here vary widely. Read these figures as a rough guide.

How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.

Registered
May 10, 2017
First posted
Jun 11, 2018
StartActual
May 31, 2017
Primary completionEst.
Dec 2021
CompletionEst.
Jun 2022
Last update
Jun 11, 2018
What these dates mean
Start.
When the first participant enrolled; while estimated, when the study expects to open to recruitment.
Primary completion.
When the last participant was examined or treated to collect data for the study's main question, its primary outcome. A study that stopped early gives the date its data collection stopped.
Completion.
When the last participant's last visit took place, for every outcome, secondary ones and side effects included: the end of the study. Often later than primary completion, sometimes the same day.
Actual and Est.
Actual means the registry says the date has happened. Est. (estimated) is a date the sponsor plans or expects. It can still move, and the sponsor is expected to change it to actual once it has passed.
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Jun 11, 2018, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT03551990
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Jun 11, 2018
Start date
May 31, 2017
Primary completion
Dec 2021 (estimated)
Completion
Jun 2022 (estimated)
Last update
Jun 11, 2018

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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