The study conducted in mice bearing human tumors shows that tumor cell-secreted IL-6 directly contributes to body weight loss while the administration of a human-mouse chimeric monoclonal antibody reverses muscle wasting, highlighting the potential role for IL-6 as pro-cachectic agent and the potential of its neutralization for treating cachexia (Zaki et al., 2004). The gene discussed is IL6; the disease is Cachexia.