Help & Support
How to use CachexiaDB, what it contains, and where it is heading.
How to Use
1. What is CachexiaDB?
CachexiaDB is a comprehensive, user-friendly database dedicated to cancer cachexia research. It systematically integrates literature-curated genes and therapeutic interventions, alongside relevant gene expression datasets (e.g., from GEO). By providing a one-stop platform for knowledge retrieval and data re-analysis, CachexiaDB empowers researchers to explore the molecular landscape and underlying mechanisms of the disease. It is designed for a broad audience within the biomedical and clinical research community.
2. How to quickly get started with CachexiaDB?
Getting started with CachexiaDB is straightforward. The platform is organized into four core modules to facilitate your research workflow:
a. Home Module: The “Home” page provides a comprehensive overview of the database. You can use the quick search bar to start immediately—simply enter any gene of interest (e.g., IL6) that you believe is related to cancer cachexia. You can also instantly check the Database Overview section for key statistics.
Furthermore, scrolling down to the Explore Analysis Tools section gives you a preview of the analytical capabilities (Differential Expression, Survival, and Immune Infiltration). You can click the "Explore... →" links at the bottom of each card to jump directly to the corresponding analysis page.
b. Search Module: Navigate to the “Search” page to look up specific records. Select the record type from the left dropdown menu (Protein coding gene symbol, Non-coding RNA, or Intervention) and enter your keyword. The search is live and updates instantly. To view all the genes and interventions covered in the database, you can click the "full list" link next to the search box, or visually explore the provided word clouds.
c. Analysis Module: Navigate to the "Analysis" page to perform interactive re-analysis based on GEO datasets. Use the Analysis Settings panel on the left to filter data by Species (e.g., Mouse), Tissue type (e.g., Adipose), Cancer type (e.g., BC), Dataset accession (e.g., GSE222380), and Group (e.g., Cachexia_vs_Control).
The module offers three main tools:
Differential Expression Analysis: Explore gene expression differences under various conditions.
Immune Infiltration: Generate immune cell composition heatmaps (as shown) to visualize immune infiltration patterns in different groups.
Survival Analysis: Evaluate the prognostic value of literature-derived cachexia-related genes across multiple datasets.
d. Download Module: You can easily download the comprehensive, literature-curated data via the dedicated "Download" page in the top navigation bar. To retrieve the information, simply click the red "Download" button located below the respective card to download the complete data files (including literature information).
