A New Way to Starve Cancer Cells

Lung cancer is a malignant tumor that seriously endangers human health, and it is one of the highest incidence and mortality rate cancer in the world. A new study, published in the Journal Molecular Cell on October 15th, opened a new way for lung cancer treatment. Studies showed that preventing the use of alternative sources of nutrition can stop the growth of lung cancer cells.
What to eat of cancer cells?
The metabolism of cancer cells is very different from that of normal cells. The rapidly proliferating cancer cells have a very high demand for energy, and they will take the main source of glucose. Cancer cells use glucose faster than normal cells 10 times or even hundreds of times. When glucose is destitute , cancer cells need to use other nutrients to maintain their growth and survival.
Scientists at the University of McGill, Washington, ITMO and Bristol have conducted a thorough study of non small cell lung cancer. They found that in the case of glucose deprivation, lung cancer cells will change their eating habits, liking using glutamine. This is an important metabolic mechanism for cancer cell growth.
The researchers point out that lung cancer cells metabolize through the PEPCK enzyme. "In the past, people mainly study PEPCK in the specialized tissues of glucose production, such as the liver," Emma Vincent of McGill University said. "In fact, some cancer cells also express PEPCK, which allows the cancer cells to use glutamine to support their growth. PEPCK is a kind of important metabolic switch, which helps cancer cells to survive and proliferate under the condition of starvation." The study shows that the PEPCK in the tumor cells can delay the growth of tumor in transgenic mice.
For a taste
The researchers also find that PEPCK levels are elevated in the tissues of patients with lung cancer. "This shows that PEPCK plays an important role in human disease (Alzheimer's Disease Models) ," said Russell Jones, an associate professor at McGill University. "The availability of nutrition can affect the development of cancer." Cancer cells will use alternative energy sources under pressure, which can lead fatal death. To understand the specific mechanisms behind this process will bring new hope for cancer treatment.
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