WuXi AppTec Content Team Editor
The advent of a variety of anti-cancer therapies has made cancer no longer a terminal illness. However, once cancer cells begin to metastasize to other tissues or organs in the body, they can quickly become difficult to treat. In fact, metastasis is the leading cause of death from cancer.
From primary to metastatic tumors, how do cancer cells acquire the ability to metastasize? Scientists believe that finding the answer to this question will lead to new ways to stop the spread of cancer cells. Recently, scientists at Weill Cornell Medicine (Weill Cornell Medicine) have made a progress, the results of which are published in Nature Metabolism.
This study focused on the metabolic changes experienced by cancer cells, as alterations in metabolic pathways are believed to be a key strategy for cancer cells to acquire the ability to metastasize. Using a mouse model of breast cancer lung metastasis, researchers found that the dysregulation of propionate metabolism, a metabolic pathway in which cancer cells digest certain fatty acid and protein components, increases the metastatic potential of cancer cells strong>.
In this process, metastatic cancer cells inhibit the activity of MCEE, a key enzyme in the propionate metabolic pathway, resulting in the metabolic byproduct methylmalonic acid (MMA) in the cell Intratumoral and intratumoral accumulation.
Previous studies have suggested that MMA can alter gene expression in cancer cells, prompting cancer cells to exhibit aggressive properties. This study found that metastatic cancer cells “value” MMA very much. On the one hand, they not only use MMA produced by foreign sources (such as other healthy cells), but also produce MMA themselves; on the other hand, tumors that are still “honest” in place The cells did not show up-regulation of MMA, only increased MMA in cancer cells that were likely to form metastases.
Thus, these results imply that cancer cells form a positive cycle with MMA, driving the disease toward a more aggressive, more metastatic direction.
Consistent with findings in a mouse model of breast cancer, the researchers also found in human breast cancer cells that the most aggressive triple-negative breast cancer cell line had higher levels of MMA than others without metastatic cell line.
Image source: 123RF
The research team concludes in their abstract: “Our study suggests that hyperregulation of propionate metabolism has an important contribution to cancer and justifies it as a potential target for the treatment of cancer metastasis.
/strong>.”
Although the study focused on various models of breast cancer, the researchers suspect that similar mechanisms may exist in other types of cancer cells, and they hope to find a way to unravel them.
Corresponding author of the study, Dr. John Blenis noted, “Metastases account for approximately 80 to 90 percent of cancer-related mortality, and if we can predict when patients are likely to develop metastatic tumors, or Treating metastatic tumors where this pathway is upregulated, we may have a very effective new therapy.”
References:
[2] Tumors change their metabolism to spread more effectively. Retrieved Apr. 19, 2022 from https:https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2022/04/tumors-change -their-metabolism-spread-more-effectively
More Recommendations
Click “Watching” and go~