Researchers from the Centre for Immunology at St Vincent’s Hospital of Sydney, the University of New South Wales, and the Garvan Institute of Medical Research have developed a novel way to control the extreme weight loss common in late stage cancer, giving people the strength to survive treatment and improve their chances of recovery.

They found that most common cancers produce large amounts of a molecule known as MIC-1, which targets receptors in the brain that switch off appetite. Antibodies against MIC-1, already developed by St Vincent’s, make it possible to switch appetite back on.