Josep M. Argilés

Josep M. Argilés is Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Cancer at the Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Spain, being the leader of a research group interested in cancer cachexia.

His main contribution to the field of cancer research concerns the mechanisms associated with cancer cachexia. Prof. Argilés was the first scientist to describe the mechanism responsible for the increased protein breakdown in skeletal muscle of cancer patients which seems to be responsible for muscle wasting.

He is responsible for the introduction of the concept of the cytokine balance of the cancer patient, the ratio of the pro-cachectic (TNF-a, IL-6, g-IFN…) to anti-cachectic (IL-10, sTNFRs…) cytokines.

In addition to his work in describing mechanisms and mediators of cancer cachexia, Prof. Argilés has made interesting contributions in the form of pre-clinical studies regarding the pharmacological treatment of cachexia using different therapeutic strategies such as b2-agonists or anabolic cytokines, such as IL-15.

Josep M. Argilés has published more than 300 international scientific publications. His Hirsch citation index is 83.