Significant relationship between the LAT1 expression pattern and chemoresistance in ovarian clear cell carcinoma

Amino acid transporters within the solute carrier superfamily: Underappreciated proteins and novel opportunities for cancer therapy

BACKGROUND

Solute carrier (SLC) transporters, a diverse family of membrane proteins, are instrumental in orchestrating the intake and efflux of nutrients including amino acids, vitamins, ions, nutrients, etc, across cell membranes. This dynamic process is critical for sustaining the metabolic demands of cancer cells, promoting their survival, proliferation, and adaptation to the tumor microenvironment (TME). Amino acids are fundamental building blocks of cells and play essential roles in protein synthesis, nutrient sensing, and oncogenic signaling pathways. As key transporters of amino acids, SLCs have emerged as crucial players in maintaining cellular amino acid homeostasis, and their dysregulation is implicated in various cancer types. Thus, understanding the intricate connections between amino acids, SLCs, and cancer is pivotal for unraveling novel therapeutic targets and strategies.

SCOPE OF REVIEW

In this review, we delve into the significant impact of amino acid carriers of the SLCs family on the growth and progression of cancer and explore the current state of knowledge in this field, shedding light on the molecular mechanisms that underlie these relationships and highlighting potential avenues for future research and clinical interventions.

MAJOR CONCLUSIONS

Amino acids transportation by SLCs plays a critical role in tumor progression. However, some studies revealed the tumor suppressor function of SLCs. Although several studies evaluated the function of SLC7A11 and SLC1A5, the role of some SLC proteins in cancer is not studied well. To exert their functions, SLCs mediate metabolic rewiring, regulate the maintenance of redox balance, affect main oncogenic pathways, regulate amino acids bioavailability within the TME, and alter the sensitivity of cancer cells to therapeutics. However, different therapeutic methods that prevent the function of SLCs were able to inhibit tumor progression. This comprehensive review provides insights into a rapidly evolving area of cancer biology by focusing on amino acids and their transporters within the SLC superfamily.

A glutamine tug-of-war between cancer and immune cells: recent advances in unraveling the ongoing battle

Glutamine metabolism plays a pivotal role in cancer progression, immune cell function, and the modulation of the tumor microenvironment. Dysregulated glutamine metabolism has been implicated in cancer development and immune responses, supported by mounting evidence. Cancer cells heavily rely on glutamine as a critical nutrient for survival and proliferation, while immune cells require glutamine for activation and proliferation during immune reactions. This metabolic competition creates a dynamic tug-of-war between cancer and immune cells. Targeting glutamine transporters and downstream enzymes involved in glutamine metabolism holds significant promise in enhancing anti-tumor immunity. A comprehensive understanding of the intricate molecular mechanisms underlying this interplay is crucial for developing innovative therapeutic approaches that improve anti-tumor immunity and patient outcomes. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of recent advances in unraveling the tug-of-war of glutamine metabolism between cancer and immune cells and explore potential applications of basic science discoveries in the clinical setting. Further investigations into the regulation of glutamine metabolism in cancer and immune cells are expected to yield valuable insights, paving the way for future therapeutic interventions.

Initial Experience with the Radiotracer 18F-Fluciclovine PET/CT in Ovarian Cancer

OBJECTIVE

Early and accurate staging of ovarian cancer is paramount to disease survival. Conventional imaging including FDG PET/CT are limited in the evaluation of small metastatic lesions. 18F-Fluciclovine has minimal urine and bowel excretion allowing optimal visualization of the abdomen and pelvis. This study examines 18F-fluciclovine uptake in known primary and recurrent ovarian cancer.

METHODS

Seven patients with a confirmed diagnosis of epithelial ovarian cancer underwent 18F-fluciclovine PET/CT imaging. Forty-one (41) lesions were identified with 18F-fluciclovine and confirmed to be true positive (n = 41). We aim to explore if 18F-fluciclovine uptake in ovarian lesions were greater than background uptake of bone marrow, blood pool, and bladder. Quantification analysis was performed to determine max and mean standard uptake values (SUVmax and SUVmean) of known and suspected lesions compared to SUVmean uptake of background structures.

RESULTS

18F-Fluciclovine demonstrated 100% sensitivity (41/41) for uptake in known ovarian lesions. The average SUVmax (±SD) uptake of known ovarian lesions was 5.9 (±2.6) and 5.1 (±2.0) on early and delayed images, respectively. The average tumor SUVmax to SUVmean of background (±SD) (T:B) ratios on early and delay were 1.9 (±0.8), 2.1 (±0.9) for marrow; 3.8 (±1.8), 3.4 (±1.5) for aorta; and 8.4 (±4.3), 1.5 (±1.7) for bladder, respectively.

CONCLUSION

18F-Fluciclovine uptake in malignant ovarian lesions was above background levels suggesting its feasibility in the imaging of ovarian cancer. Due to increasing tracer washout via the urinary bladder over time, early imaging at 4 min post injection is favorable.

Identification and validation of a novel signature based on T cell marker genes to predict prognosis, immunotherapy response and chemotherapy sensitivity in head and neck squamous carcinoma by integrated analysis of single-cell and bulk RNA-sequencing

T cells are among the most potent anti-tumor cells that are found in humans. Our study sought to develop a reliable signature incorporating T cell marker genes (TMGs) for predicting the prognosis and therapy responsiveness of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients. We downloaded scRNA-seq data from the GSE181919 to identify TMGs. Subsequently, we devised a 12 TMG signature in the TCGA HNSCC cohort by using LASSO analysis. Patients with high-risk scores were shown to experience unfavorable progression-free survival, disease-specific survival, and overall survival, which was validated in the GSE65858 cohort. Additionally, the nomogram integrated risk score and clinical features are more suitable for clinical application. The enrichment analyses of both pathways and functions showed that high- and low-risk patients had functionally related distinctions. Furthermore, analysis of the immunological landscape confirmed that the low-risk patients had a larger percentage of infiltrating immune cells as well as a higher incidence rate of immune-related events. In the meantime, a greater IPS score and expression of immune checkpoint genes suggested significantly favorable responsiveness to immunotherapy in low-risk patients. On the other hand, the high-risk patients had a greater degree of sensitivity to the chemotherapy agents, which included paclitaxel, gemcitabine, docetaxel, and cisplatin. Our finding revealed that this TMG signature independently functioned as a prognostic marker and guided individualized immunotherapy and chemotherapy selection for patients with HNSCC.

Boron uptake of boronophenylalanine and the effect of boron neutron capture therapy in cervical cancer cells

There are few studies about boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) for cervical cancer. The present study evaluated the biodistribution of boronophenylalanine (BPA) and the effect of BNCT on cervical cancer cell lines. BPA exposure and neutron irradiation of cervical cancer cell lines resulted in decreased survival fraction compared to irradiation only. In vivo cervical cancer tumor boron concentration was highest at 2.5 h after BPA intraperitoneal administration, and higher than in the other organs. BNCT may be effective against cervical carcinoma.

Rethinking glutamine metabolism and the regulation of glutamine addiction by oncogenes in cancer

Glutamine, the most abundant non-essential amino acid in human blood, is crucial for cancer cell growth and cancer progression. Glutamine mainly functions as a carbon and nitrogen source for biosynthesis, energy metabolism, and redox homeostasis maintenance in cancer cells. Dysregulated glutamine metabolism is a notable metabolic characteristic of cancer cells. Some carcinogen-driven cancers exhibit a marked dependence on glutamine, also known as glutamine addiction, which has rendered the glutamine metabolic pathway a breakpoint in cancer therapeutics. However, some cancer cells can adapt to the glutamine unavailability by reprogramming metabolism, thus limiting the success of this therapeutic approach. Given the complexity of metabolic networks and the limited impact of inhibiting glutamine metabolism alone, the combination of glutamine metabolism inhibition and other therapeutic methods may outperform corresponding monotherapies in the treatment of cancers. This review summarizes the uptake, transport, and metabolic characteristics of glutamine, as well as the regulation of glutamine dependence by some important oncogenes in various cancers to emphasize the therapeutic potential of targeting glutamine metabolism. Furthermore, we discuss a glutamine metabolic pathway, the glutaminase II pathway, that has been substantially overlooked. Finally, we discuss the applicability of polytherapeutic strategies targeting glutamine metabolism to provide a new perspective on cancer therapeutics.

Energy Substrate Transporters in High-Grade Ovarian Cancer: Gene Expression and Clinical Implications

Ovarian cancer is a non-homogenous malignancy. High-grade serous carcinoma (HGSC) is the most common subtype, and its drug resistance mechanisms remain unclear. Despite the advantages of modern pharmacotherapy, high-grade ovarian cancer is associated with a poor prognosis and research into targeted therapies is in progress. The aim of the study was to assess the dominant energy substrate transport mechanism in ovarian cancer cells and to verify whether genomic aberrations could predict clinical outcomes using the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset. Total RNA was extracted from HGSC frozen tissues, and the expression of selected genes was compared to respective controls. GLUT1, FABPpm, MCT4 and SNAT1 genes were significantly overexpressed in carcinomas compared with controls, while expression of CD36/SR-B2, FATP1, FABP4, GLUT4, ASCT2 and LPL was decreased. No differences were found in FATP4, LAT1, MCT1 and FASN. The transcript content of mitochondrial genes such as PGC-1α, TFAM and COX4/1 was similar between groups, while the β-HAD level declined in ovarian cancer. Additionally, the MCT4 level was reduced and PGC-1α was elevated in cancer tissue from patients with ‘small’ primary tumor and omental invasion accompanied by ascites as compared to patients that exhibited greater tendencies to metastasize to lymph nodes with clear omentum. Based on TCGA, higher FABP4 and LPL and lower TFAM expression indicated poorer overall survival in patients with ovarian cancer. In conclusion, the presented data show that there is no exclusive energy substrate in HGSC. However, this study indicates the advantage of glucose and lactate transport over fatty acids, thereby suggesting potential therapeutic intervention targets to impede ovarian cancer growth.

Contribution of LAT1-4F2hc in Urological Cancers via Toll-like Receptor and Other Vital Pathways

Simple Summary

LAT1-4F2hc complex is an important amino acid transporter. It mainly transports specific amino acids through the cell membrane, provides nutrition for cells, and participates in a variety of metabolic pathways. LAT1 plays a role in transporting essential amino acids including leucine, which regulates the mTOR signaling pathway. However, the importance of SLCs is still not well known in the field of urological cancer. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to report the role of the LAT1-4F2hc complex in urological cancers, as well as their clinical significance and application. Moreover, the inhibitor of LAT1-4F2hc complex is a promising direction as a targeted therapy to improve the treatment and prognosis of urological cancers.

Abstract

Tumor cells are known for their ability to proliferate. Nutrients are essential for rapidly growing tumor cells. In particular, essential amino acids are essential for tumor cell growth. Tumor cell growth nutrition requires the regulation of membrane transport proteins. Nutritional processes require amino acid uptake across the cell membrane. Leucine, one of the essential amino acids, has recently been found to be closely associated with cancer, which activate mTOR signaling pathway. The transport of leucine into cells requires an L-type amino acid transporter protein 1, LAT1 (SLC7A5), which requires the 4F2 cell surface antigen heavy chain (4F2hc, SLC3A2) to form a heterodimeric amino acid transporter protein complex. Recent evidence identified 4F2hc as a specific downstream target of the androgen receptor splice variant 7 (AR-V7). We stressed the importance of the LAT1-4F2hc complex as a diagnostic and therapeutic target in urological cancers in this review, which covered the recent achievements in research on the involvement of the LAT1-4F2hc complex in urinary system tumors. In addition, JPH203, which is a selective LAT1 inhibitor, has shown excellent inhibitory effects on the proliferation in a variety of tumor cells. The current phase I clinical trials of JPH203 in patients with biliary tract cancer have also achieved good results, which is the future research direction for LAT1 targeted therapy drugs.

L-type amino acid transporter (LAT) 1 expression in 18F-FET-negative gliomas

Background

O-(2-[¹⁸F]-fluoroethyl)-L-tyrosine (¹⁸F-FET) is a highly sensitive PET tracer for glioma imaging, and its uptake is suggested to be driven by an overexpression of the L-type amino-acid transporter 1 (LAT1). However, 30% of low- and 5% of high-grade gliomas do not present enhanced ¹⁸F-FET uptake at primary diagnosis (“¹⁸F-FET-negative gliomas”) and the pathophysiologic basis for this phenomenon remains unclear. The aim of this study was to determine the expression of LAT1 in a homogeneous group of newly diagnosed ¹⁸F-FET-negative gliomas and to compare them to a matched group of ¹⁸F-FET-positive gliomas. Forty newly diagnosed IDH-mutant astrocytomas without 1p/19q codeletion were evaluated (n = 20 ¹⁸F-FET-negative (tumour-to-background ratio (TBR) < 1.6), n = 20 ¹⁸F-FET-positive gliomas (TBR > 1.6)). LAT1 immunohistochemistry (IHC) was performed using SLC7A5/LAT1 antibody. The percentage of LAT1-positive tumour cells (%) and the staining intensity (range 0–2) were multiplied to an overall score (H-score; range 0–200) and correlated to PET findings as well as progression-free survival (PFS).

Results

IHC staining of LAT1 expression was positive in both, ¹⁸F-FET-positive as well as ¹⁸F-FET-negative gliomas. No differences were found between the ¹⁸F-FET-negative and ¹⁸F-FET-positive group with regard to percentage of LAT1-positive tumour cells, staining intensity or H-score. Interestingly, the LAT1 expression showed a significant negative correlation with the PFS (p = 0.031), whereas no significant correlation was found for TBR_max, neither in the overall group nor in the ¹⁸F-FET-positive group only (p = 0.651 and p = 0.140).

Conclusion

Although LAT1 is reported to mediate the uptake of ¹⁸F-FET into tumour cells, the levels of LAT1 expression do not correlate with the levels of ¹⁸F-FET uptake in IDH-mutant astrocytomas. In particular, the lack of tracer uptake in ¹⁸F-FET-negative gliomas cannot be explained by a reduced LAT1 expression. A higher LAT1 expression in IDH-mutant astrocytomas seems to be associated with a short PFS. Further studies regarding mechanisms influencing the uptake of ¹⁸F-FET are necessary.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13550-021-00865-9.

Expression of L-Type Amino Acid Transporter 1 is a Predictive Biomarker of Intravesical Recurrence in Patients with Non-Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer

Purpose

L-type amino acid transporter 1 (LAT1), a Na⁺-independent amino acid transporter, is highly expressed in various cancer types. We evaluated the prognostic value of LAT1 expression in non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC).

Patients and Methods

We retrospectively reviewed 119 consecutive patients who underwent initial transurethral resection of bladder tumor. Of these, 75 patients with NMIBC were included in this study. Patients were classified into two groups according to the proportion of LAT1-positive cells, as determined by immunohistochemistry. Associations between LAT1 expression and clinicopathological factors were analyzed. Cox multivariate analyses were performed to identify independent predictors of intravesical recurrence (IVR). The LAT1 integrated risk model was compared with the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) risk model to evaluate the predictive ability for IVR based on the c-index.

Results

The median follow-up was 37 months. Twenty-eight patients (37.3%) had IVR. LAT1 expression was not correlated with any other clinicopathological factors. Patients with high LAT1 expression had a worse IVR-free survival than that of patients with low LAT1 expression (P = 0.038). Cox multivariate analyses indicated that tumor multiplicity and high LAT1 expression were independent predictors of IVR. The LAT1 integrated risk model had a significantly improved performance over the EORTC model for assessing recurrence risk (c-index: 0.695, improvement: 0.091, P = 0.001). When patients were stratified into three groups according to the score calculated by the LAT1 integrated risk model, the 2-year IVR-free survival rates were 93.3% in patients with 0 points, 66.9% for those with 2 points, and 37.5% for those with 4 points.

Conclusion

High LAT1 expression was an independent predictor of IVR in patients with NMIBC. The LAT1 integrated risk model had good predictability for IVR.

Prognostic Value of L-Type Amino Acid Transporter 1 (LAT1) in Various Cancers: A Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

The L-type amino acid transporter 1 (LAT1, SLC7A5) is overexpressed in various types of cancer and has been thought to assist cancer progression through its uptake of neutral amino acids. However, the prognostic role of LAT1 in human cancers remains uncharacterized. Therefore, we conducted this meta-analysis to determine the prognostic significance of LAT1 in various cancers.

METHODS

We systematically searched the PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, and WanFang databases to collect relevant cohort studies investigating the prognostic value of LAT1 expression in patients with cancer. Hazard ratios (HRs) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were pooled to clarify the association between the LAT1 expression and the survival of patients with cancer. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% CIs were calculated to appraise the correlation between LAT1 and the clinicopathological characteristics in patients with cancer.

RESULTS

A total of 32 eligible articles, including 34 cohorts and 6410 patients, were enrolled in this meta-analysis. Our results demonstrated that high LAT1 expression was significantly associated with poor overall survival (HR = 1.66, 95% CI 1.41-1.96, P < 0.001), cancer-specific survival (HR = 1.64, 95% CI 1.31-2.05, P < 0.001), disease-free survival (HR = 1.55, 95% CI 1.31-1.83, P < 0.001), and progression-free survival (HR = 1.18, 95% CI 1.02-1.37, P = 0.026) in patients with cancer. In addition, we found that the elevated expression level of LAT1 was significantly related to certain phenotypes of tumor aggressiveness, such as tumor size, clinical stage, T stage, lymphatic invasion, vascular invasion, tumor differentiation, Ki-67, CD34, CD98, p53, and system ASC amino acid transporter-2.

CONCLUSIONS

Elevated expression of LAT1 is associated with poor prognosis in human cancers and may serve as a potential prognostic marker and therapeutic target for patients with malignancies.

Amino acid transporters as emerging therapeutic targets in cancer

Amino acids are indispensable nutrients for both normal and cancer cells. Cancer cells are unable to synthesize essential amino acids as well as some non‐essential amino acids adequately to support rapid proliferation, and must take up amino acids from the surroundings. To meet the increased demand for the amino acid needed for proliferation, high levels of amino acid transporters are expressed on the surface of cancer cells. Cancer cells utilize amino acids to synthesize proteins and nucleotides, as well as to obtain energy. In addition, amino acids are known to play pathological roles in cancer cells. Interestingly, breast cancer cells limit the use of amino acids for cell proliferation based on amino acid availability, which depends on estrogen receptor status. Here, we present a summarized literature review of novel amino acid functions in cancer cells. This review organizes the available knowledge on 2 amino acid transporters, SLC7A5 and SLC7A11, which are considered essential for breast cancer cell growth in a cell‐dependent manner. In particular, we propose the glutamine recycling model to clarify the mechanism underlying aberrant SLC7A5 activation. Finally, we overview the pathological significances of SLC7A5 and SLC7A11 in cancer tissues.

Drug and Solute Transporters in Mediating Resistance to Novel Therapeutics in Multiple Myeloma

Multiple myeloma remains an incurable malignancy of plasma cells. Novel therapies, notably proteasome inhibitors and immunomodulatory drugs, have improved the survival of multiple myeloma patients; however, patients either present with, or develop resistance to, these therapies. Resistance to traditional chemotherapeutic agents can be caused by cellular drug efflux via adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-binding cassette (ABC) transporters, but it is still not clear whether these transporters mediate resistance to proteasome inhibitors and immunomodulatory drugs in multiple myeloma. Solute carrier (SLC) transporters also play a role in cancer drug resistance due to changes in cell homeostasis caused by their abnormal expression and changes in the solutes they transport. In this review, we evaluate resistance to novel therapies used to treat multiple myeloma, as mediated by drug and solute transporters.

ASCT2 and LAT1 Contribution to the Hallmarks of Cancer: From a Molecular Perspective to Clinical Translation

The role of the amino acid transporters ASCT2 and LAT1 in cancer has been explored throughout the years. In this review, we report their impact on the hallmarks of cancer, as well as their clinical significance. Overall, both proteins have been associated with cell death resistance through dysregulation of caspases and sustainment of proliferative signaling through mTOR activation. Furthermore, ASCT2 appears to play an important role in cellular energetics regulation, whereas LAT1 expression is associated with angiogenesis and invasion and metastasis activation. The molecular impact of these proteins on the hallmarks of cancer translates into various clinical applications and both transporters have been identified as prognostic factors in many types of cancer. Concerning their role as therapeutic targets, efforts have been undertaken to synthesize competitive or irreversible ASCT2 and LAT1 inhibitors. However, JHP203, a selective inhibitor of the latter, is, to the best of our knowledge, the only compound included in a Phase 1 clinical trial. In conclusion, considering the usefulness of ASCT2 and LAT1 in a variety of cancer-related pathways and cancer therapy/diagnosis, the development and testing of novel inhibitors for these transporters that could be evaluated in clinical trials represents a promising approach to cancer prognosis improvement.

Review of the Correlation of LAT1 With Diseases: Mechanism and Treatment

LAT1 is a member of the system L transporter family. The main role of the LAT1 is to transport specific amino acids through cell membranes to provide nutrients to cells and participate in several metabolic pathways. It also contributes to the transport of hormones and some drugs, which are essential for the development and treatment of some diseases. In recent years, many studies have shown that LAT1 is related to cancer, obesity, diabetes, and other diseases. However, the specific mechanism underlying the influence of LAT1 on such conditions remains unclear. Through the increasing number of studies on LAT1, we have obtained a preliminary understanding on the function of LAT1 in diseases. These studies also provide a theoretical basis for finding treatments for LAT1-related diseases, such as cancer. This review summarizes the function and mechanism of LAT1 in different diseases and the treatment of LAT1-related diseases. It also provides support for the development of novel and reliable disease treatments.

Prognostic value of LAT-1 status in solid cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

The expression of the L-type amino acid transporter 1 (LAT1) plays a significant role in tumor progression. However, it remains unclear whether high LAT1 expression correlates with poor prognosis of solid tumor patients. Here, we conducted a meta-analysis to assess the potential of LAT1 in predicting the prognosis of tumor patients.

Methods and findings

A total of 4,579 cases were analyzed from 35 qualified studies. In patients with solid tumors, elevated expression of LAT1 is associated with poor prognosis (overall survival [OS]: pooled hazard ratio (HR) = 1.848, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.620–2.108, P < 0.001; disease free survival [DFS]: pooled HR = 1.923, 95% CI = 1.585–2.333, P < 0.001; progression free survival [PFS]: pooled HR = 1.345, 95% CI = 1.133–1.597, P = 0.001). Furthermore, in subgroup analysis, we found an association between high LAT1 expression and poor OS in non-small cell lung cancer (HR = 1.554, 95% CI = 1.345–1.794, P < 0.001), pancreatic cancer (HR = 2.052, 95% CI = 1.613–2.724, P < 0.001) and biliary tract cancer (HR = 2.253, 95% CI = 1.562–3.227, P < 0.001).

Conclusion

The results of this meta-analysis indicate the reliability and potential of using LAT1 expression as a predictive biomarker in solid cancers prior to treatment. However, further studies with larger sample sizes would be beneficial for fully evaluating the predictive value of LAT1 expression for clinical applications.

Correlation of high LAT1 expression with the prognosis of endometrioid carcinoma of the uterine corpus

The expression of L-type amino acid transporter 1 (LAT1) has been described to play essential roles in cancer cell growth and survival. To determine the significance of LAT1 in the prognosis of endometrial endometrioid carcinoma, we investigated LAT1 expression in 353 endometrioid carcinoma patients by immunohistochemical analysis using tissue microarray. The tumors in which stained tumor cells made up more than 25% of the tumor were graded as high expression. High expression of LAT1 was detected in 29 (8.2%) of patients. The ratio of high LAT1 expression did not significantly differ by age (< 60 vs. ≥ 60), FIGO stage (stage I/II vs. III/IV), histological grade (grade 1 vs. grade 2/3), or lymph node metastasis (positive vs. negative). However, high LAT1 expression in endometrioid carcinoma was associated with a poorer progression-free survival and overall survival, as per the results of the log-rank test (P = 0.0263 and 0.0404, respectively). Cox univariate and multivariate analyses revealed that high LAT1 expression is an independent marker of poor progression-free survival (hazard ratio = 2.598, P = 0.0137), in addition to a higher age (≥ 60 years vs. < 60 years), FIGO stage (stage III/IV vs. I/II), and histological grade (grade 2/3 vs. grade 1). In conclusion, we demonstrate that LAT1 is associated with a poor prognosis of endometrioid carcinoma of the uterine corpus.

The L-Type Amino Acid Transporter LAT1-An Emerging Target in Cancer

Chronic proliferation is a major hallmark of tumor cells. Rapidly proliferating cancer cells are highly dependent on nutrients in order to duplicate their cell mass during each cell division. In particular, essential amino acids are indispensable for proliferating cancer cells. Their uptake across the cell membrane is tightly controlled by membrane transporters. Among those, the L-type amino acid transporter LAT1 (SLC7A5) has been repeatedly found overexpressed in a vast variety of cancers. In this review, we summarize the most recent advances in our understanding of the role of LAT1 in cancer and highlight preclinical studies and drug developments underlying the potential of LAT1 as therapeutic target.