Research from Ben-Gurion University reveals the mechanism that allows cancer cells to survive a lack of sugar, and offers a new therapeutic direction based on damage to a key protein
Cancer cells love sugar. This fact helps in the diagnosis of cancer metastases through a PET scan. In this method, radioactive sugar is injected into the patient and since cancer loves sugar and is very efficient at sucking it from the blood, the radioactive sugar accumulates in the tumor. In addition, when measuring how much sugar is in the tumor compared to healthy tissue, less sugar can be found in the tumor. Therefore the question arises, how do cancer cells overcome the lack of sugar and manage to survive and thrive? If we know what the mechanism is that enables survival in sugar starvation, we can damage starved cancer cells with drugs and preserve the healthy tissue cells that are not lacking in sugar.
A research group led by Prof. Barak Rotblat from the Department of Life Sciences and the National Institute of Biotechnology in the Negev (NIBN) at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in collaboration with Dr. Gabriel LaFrivier, from the University of Dusseldorf in Germany, found that cancer cells amplify even more strongly a mechanism conserved in evolution from mammals to fungi, which aims to enable overcoming hunger for sugar.
When we have a lot of energy in the body we produce fat and when the body is hungry we burn it. The research group discovered that the 4EBP protein makes it possible to regulate the rate at which the cell produces fat according to its energy state. Using genetic manipulation, the researchers created cells that had little 4EBP and found that they did not survive sugar starvation. That is, cancer cells without 4EBP die when starved for sugar and this action even impairs their ability to produce tumors when transplanted into mice.
Cancer cells amplify even more a mechanism conserved in evolution from mammals to fungi, which aims to enable overcoming hunger for sugar
Sugar starvation is particularly interesting in the context of brain tumors because there is very little sugar in the cerebrospinal fluid and cancer cells growing in the brain need to be equipped with mechanisms that allow them to cope with sugar starvation. When the researchers checked a clinical database of brain tumors, they discovered that the gene that codes for the 4EBP protein is highly active in these tumors. Therefore, they took cells extracted from brain tumors, silenced the gene and transplanted the silenced cells into the brains of mice. The survival of the mice whose brains were transplanted with control cells was significantly less than those whose brains were transplanted with cells in which 4EBP was silenced, which teaches that the gene contributes to the aggressiveness of the tumor.
Cells in which the gene encoding 4EBP was silenced that failed to grow a tumor, on the left: the control cells in which
"Our discovery regarding glucose starvation and the role of antioxidants opens a therapeutic window for the search for a molecule that can treat brain cancer," explains Prof. Rothblatt. "Such treatment may also be effective for other types of low-sugar crops. This is a significant step on the way to personalized medicine and treatments that do not affect healthy cells like chemotherapy and radiation."
Together with BGN Technologies, the technology commercialization company of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, and with the support of the National Institute of Biotechnology in the Negev (NIBN), and the National Science Foundation, the researchers are working on developing a molecule that will damage the EBP4 protein as a future treatment for cancer that has a hunger for sugar, especially brain cancer.
Life itself:
Prof. Barak Rothblatt lives with his wife and two children in Kibbutz Lahav in the Negev. In his free time he likes to climb, travel and listen to music - James Blake, Tom Waits, Hendrix, and hip hop. The last book he read and left a great impression on him is "Sutner". I think everyone has something.
More of the topic in Hayadan:
Comments
"Since cancer loves sugar and is very efficient at absorbing it from the blood, the radioactive sugar accumulates in the tumor. In addition, when you measure how much sugar is in the tumor compared to healthy tissue, you can find less sugar in the tumor" - I just can't understand how this and its opposite are written in two consecutive sentences?
Not just brain cancer. any cancer Lose 20 kg in weight by reducing sugar, gluten and animal protein and everything will pass. successfully. I would leave a phone for free guidance. But this is not a Torah from Sinai, flow with your body and smile forever. The entire Torah is on one leg. And definitely not chemo…. And as little conventional medicine as possible.
what's the connection This is not YNET
Not just for cancer cells,
Also for the hostage holders.
But the pashmir does not approve,
For her part, let the abductees go to hell.
The professor probably likes to listen and not listen.
Too bad an interesting and serious article, and fell into error
There is a typo in the title
"self"