A cancer tumor is capable of rebuilding its metabolism
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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Employees of the American University of Duke managed to find that metastatic tumor cells can transform their own metabolic processes in order to develop inside the liver or other organs.
For example, collateral cancer structures change their eating habits to benefit from the presence of fructose in the liver.
Such information helps to broaden the knowledge of scientists about the mechanisms of development of metastatic tumors for further search for effective therapeutic tactics.
The greatest danger of cancer lies in its spread to other organs - in a similar situation the disease becomes lethal. However, a direct effect like chemotherapy, as a rule, does not take into account the location of the tumor process.
"As a genetic factor, a malignant disease of the colon is a cancerous process of the colon, regardless of whether it is spreading anywhere. However, it turned out that cancerous structures are able to change under the influence of the environment. We assumed that such changes are not genetic, but metabolic in origin, "Professor Xilin Shen commented on the situation.
During the study, scientists were able to detect: individual metabolic genes of the tumor intensified after metastasis in the liver tissue. Their activity exceeded that in the primary tumor process, or when metastasizing into the lungs.
Especially a number of genes that participate in the metabolism of fructose were isolated. Scientists were surprised, because many principles of nutrition mean the use of fructose. So, it is added to corn syrup and many processed foods.
"When cancer cells enter the liver, they are rebuilt to use the available fructose to ensure their own growth and development," the researchers explain.
To use fructose in food, malignant cells have to synthesize a large amount of a specific enzyme, the aldolase polypeptide. The cancer tumor is adjusted to the synthesis of the necessary enzyme in the liver, rebuilding its own metabolism under new conditions. After this, metastases begin to develop intensively. Therefore, for the successful fight against cancer spread to the liver, metabolic transformation of cellular structures must be prevented. Professor Shen believes that the first thing to do is to eliminate the use of fructose and use the means to inhibit its metabolism.
Since medications that affect fructose metabolism are already represented by pharmacists for the correction of metabolic pathologies, "cross-therapy" should soon find its application. Such treatment can become an important element in a complex of cancer-related activities.
The work is described in detail in the scientific publication Cell Metabolism.
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