Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle (2026): Scoping Review Maps Peptides for Skeletal Muscle Wasting — Relevant to GLP-1-Era Lean-Mass Concerns
A 2026 scoping review in the Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle catalogs peptides studied as therapeutic candidates and biomarkers in skeletal muscle wasting — covering sarcopenia, cancer cachexia, and ICU-related atrophy. The review documents MIF1/MIF2 myostatin peptide inhibitors, cachexia-targeting platform peptides, and the broader role of GH-axis peptides (CJC-1295, ipamorelin, tesamorelin) in muscle homeostasis. The clinical urgency lands harder now than it did pre-2024: Nature Reviews Endocrinology recently flagged sarcopenia and frailty as under-recognized GLP-1 receptor agonist side effects, with up to 40% of GLP-1-induced weight loss attributable to lean mass in the highest-loss patients. The review surfaces non-GLP-1 peptide candidates that could be paired with incretin therapy to protect muscle.