Neurons (blue) in a part of the brain called the area postrema, seen here, express a variety of genes, including receptors for the immune system molecule IL-6 (white). Credit: Li lab/Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Cancer is insidious. Throughout tumor progression, the disease hijacks otherwise healthy biological processes—like the body’s immune response—to grow and spread. When tumors elevate levels of an immune system molecule called Interleukin-6 (IL-6), it can cause severe brain dysfunction. In about 50%–80% of cancer patients, this leads to a lethal wasting disease called cachexia. “It’s a very Read More