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Meng W, Pan H, Sha Y, Zhai X, Xing A, Lingampelly SS, Sripathi SR, Wang Y, Li K. Metabolic Connectome and Its Role in the Prediction, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Complex Diseases. Metabolites 2024; 14:93. [PMID: 38392985 PMCID: PMC10890086 DOI: 10.3390/metabo14020093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Revised: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The interconnectivity of advanced biological systems is essential for their proper functioning. In modern connectomics, biological entities such as proteins, genes, RNA, DNA, and metabolites are often represented as nodes, while the physical, biochemical, or functional interactions between them are represented as edges. Among these entities, metabolites are particularly significant as they exhibit a closer relationship to an organism's phenotype compared to genes or proteins. Moreover, the metabolome has the ability to amplify small proteomic and transcriptomic changes, even those from minor genomic changes. Metabolic networks, which consist of complex systems comprising hundreds of metabolites and their interactions, play a critical role in biological research by mediating energy conversion and chemical reactions within cells. This review provides an introduction to common metabolic network models and their construction methods. It also explores the diverse applications of metabolic networks in elucidating disease mechanisms, predicting and diagnosing diseases, and facilitating drug development. Additionally, it discusses potential future directions for research in metabolic networks. Ultimately, this review serves as a valuable reference for researchers interested in metabolic network modeling, analysis, and their applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiyu Meng
- Center for Artificial Intelligence Driven Drug Discovery, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Macao Polytechnic University, Macau SAR 999078, China
| | - Hongxin Pan
- Center for Artificial Intelligence Driven Drug Discovery, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Macao Polytechnic University, Macau SAR 999078, China
| | - Yuyang Sha
- Center for Artificial Intelligence Driven Drug Discovery, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Macao Polytechnic University, Macau SAR 999078, China
| | - Xiaobing Zhai
- Center for Artificial Intelligence Driven Drug Discovery, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Macao Polytechnic University, Macau SAR 999078, China
| | - Abao Xing
- Center for Artificial Intelligence Driven Drug Discovery, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Macao Polytechnic University, Macau SAR 999078, China
| | | | - Srinivasa R Sripathi
- Henderson Ocular Stem Cell Laboratory, Retina Foundation of the Southwest, Dallas, TX 75231, USA
| | - Yuefei Wang
- National Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine Modernization, State Key Laboratory of Component-Based Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 301617, China
- Haihe Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 301617, China
| | - Kefeng Li
- Center for Artificial Intelligence Driven Drug Discovery, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Macao Polytechnic University, Macau SAR 999078, China
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Cheng CT, Lai JM, Chang PMH, Hong YR, Huang CYF, Wang FS. Identifying essential genes in genome-scale metabolic models of consensus molecular subtypes of colorectal cancer. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0286032. [PMID: 37205704 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0286032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 05/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Identifying essential targets in the genome-scale metabolic networks of cancer cells is a time-consuming process. The present study proposed a fuzzy hierarchical optimization framework for identifying essential genes, metabolites and reactions. On the basis of four objectives, the present study developed a framework for identifying essential targets that lead to cancer cell death and evaluating metabolic flux perturbations in normal cells that have been caused by cancer treatment. Through fuzzy set theory, a multiobjective optimization problem was converted into a trilevel maximizing decision-making (MDM) problem. We applied nested hybrid differential evolution to solve the trilevel MDM problem to identify essential targets in genome-scale metabolic models for five consensus molecular subtypes (CMSs) of colorectal cancer. We used various media to identify essential targets for each CMS and discovered that most targets affected all five CMSs and that some genes were CMS-specific. We obtained experimental data on the lethality of cancer cell lines from the DepMap database to validate the identified essential genes. The results reveal that most of the identified essential genes were compatible with the colorectal cancer cell lines obtained from DepMap and that these genes, with the exception of EBP, LSS, and SLC7A6, could generate a high level of cell death when knocked out. The identified essential genes were mostly involved in cholesterol biosynthesis, nucleotide metabolisms, and the glycerophospholipid biosynthetic pathway. The genes involved in the cholesterol biosynthetic pathway were also revealed to be determinable, if a cholesterol uptake reaction was not induced when the cells were in the culture medium. However, the genes involved in the cholesterol biosynthetic pathway became non-essential if such a reaction was induced. Furthermore, the essential gene CRLS1 was revealed as a medium-independent target for all CMSs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao-Ting Cheng
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Chung Cheng University, Chiayi, Taiwan
| | - Jin-Mei Lai
- Department of Life Science, College of Science and Engineering, Fu Jen Catholic University, New Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Peter Mu-Hsin Chang
- Department of Oncology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
- Faculty of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Ren Hong
- Department of Biochemistry and Graduate Institute of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan
| | - Chi-Ying F Huang
- Institute of Biopharmaceutical Sciences, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Biotechnology and Laboratory Science in Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Feng-Sheng Wang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Chung Cheng University, Chiayi, Taiwan
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Wang FS, Chen PR, Chen TY, Zhang HX. Fuzzy optimization for identifying anti-cancer targets with few side effects in constraint-based models of head and neck cancer. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2022; 9:220633. [PMID: 36303939 PMCID: PMC9597175 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.220633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Computer-aided methods can be used to screen potential candidate targets and to reduce the time and cost of drug development. In most of these methods, synthetic lethality is used as a therapeutic criterion to identify drug targets. However, these methods do not consider the side effects during the identification stage. This study developed a fuzzy multi-objective optimization for identifying anti-cancer targets that not only evaluated cancer cell mortality, but also minimized side effects due to treatment. We identified potential anti-cancer enzymes and antimetabolites for the treatment of head and neck cancer (HNC). The identified one- and two-target enzymes were primarily involved in six major pathways, namely, purine and pyrimidine metabolism and the pentose phosphate pathway. Most of the identified targets can be regulated by approved drugs; thus, these drugs are potential candidates for drug repurposing as a treatment for HNC. Furthermore, we identified antimetabolites involved in pathways similar to those identified using a gene-centric approach. Moreover, HMGCR knockdown could not block the growth of HNC cells. However, the two-target combinations of (UMPS, HMGCR) and (CAD, HMGCR) could achieve cell mortality and improve metabolic deviation grades over 22% without reducing the cell viability grade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng-Sheng Wang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Chung Cheng University, Chiayi, Taiwan
| | - Pei-Rong Chen
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Chung Cheng University, Chiayi, Taiwan
| | - Ting-Yu Chen
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Chung Cheng University, Chiayi, Taiwan
| | - Hao-Xiang Zhang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Chung Cheng University, Chiayi, Taiwan
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Li G, Han F, Xiao F, Gu K, Shen Q, Xu W, Li W, Wang Y, Liang B, Huang J, Xiao W, Kong Q. System-level metabolic modeling facilitates unveiling metabolic signature in exceptional longevity. Aging Cell 2022; 21:e13595. [PMID: 35343058 PMCID: PMC9009231 DOI: 10.1111/acel.13595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Revised: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Although it is well known that metabolic control plays a crucial role in regulating the health span and life span of various organisms, little is known for the systems metabolic profile of centenarians, the paradigm of human healthy aging and longevity. Meanwhile, how to well characterize the system‐level metabolic states in an organism of interest remains to be a major challenge in systems metabolism research. To address this challenge and better understand the metabolic mechanisms of healthy aging, we developed a method of genome‐wide precision metabolic modeling (GPMM) which is able to quantitatively integrate transcriptome, proteome and kinetome data in predictive modeling of metabolic networks. Benchmarking analysis showed that GPMM successfully characterized metabolic reprogramming in the NCI‐60 cancer cell lines; it dramatically improved the performance of the modeling with an R2 of 0.86 between the predicted and experimental measurements over the performance of existing methods. Using this approach, we examined the metabolic networks of a Chinese centenarian cohort and identified the elevated fatty acid oxidation (FAO) as the most significant metabolic feature in these long‐lived individuals. Evidence from serum metabolomics supports this observation. Given that FAO declines with normal aging and is impaired in many age‐related diseases, our study suggests that the elevated FAO has potential to be a novel signature of healthy aging of humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gong‐Hua Li
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution/Key Laboratory of Healthy Aging Research of Yunnan Province Kunming Institute of Zoology Chinese Academy of Sciences Kunming Yunnan China
- Kunming Key Laboratory of Healthy Aging Study Kunming Yunnan China
| | - Feifei Han
- Harvard Medical School Immune and Metabolic Computational Center Massachusetts General Hospital Boston Massachusetts USA
| | - Fu‐Hui Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution/Key Laboratory of Healthy Aging Research of Yunnan Province Kunming Institute of Zoology Chinese Academy of Sciences Kunming Yunnan China
- Kunming Key Laboratory of Healthy Aging Study Kunming Yunnan China
| | - Kang‐Su‐Yun Gu
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution/Key Laboratory of Healthy Aging Research of Yunnan Province Kunming Institute of Zoology Chinese Academy of Sciences Kunming Yunnan China
- Kunming Key Laboratory of Healthy Aging Study Kunming Yunnan China
| | - Qiu Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution/Key Laboratory of Healthy Aging Research of Yunnan Province Kunming Institute of Zoology Chinese Academy of Sciences Kunming Yunnan China
| | - Weihong Xu
- Harvard Medical School Immune and Metabolic Computational Center Massachusetts General Hospital Boston Massachusetts USA
| | - Wen‐Xing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution/Key Laboratory of Healthy Aging Research of Yunnan Province Kunming Institute of Zoology Chinese Academy of Sciences Kunming Yunnan China
| | - Yan‐Li Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution/Key Laboratory of Healthy Aging Research of Yunnan Province Kunming Institute of Zoology Chinese Academy of Sciences Kunming Yunnan China
- School of Life Sciences Center for Life Sciences Yunnan University Kunming Yunnan China
| | - Bin Liang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution/Key Laboratory of Healthy Aging Research of Yunnan Province Kunming Institute of Zoology Chinese Academy of Sciences Kunming Yunnan China
- School of Life Sciences Center for Life Sciences Yunnan University Kunming Yunnan China
| | - Jing‐Fei Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution/Key Laboratory of Healthy Aging Research of Yunnan Province Kunming Institute of Zoology Chinese Academy of Sciences Kunming Yunnan China
| | - Wenzhong Xiao
- Harvard Medical School Immune and Metabolic Computational Center Massachusetts General Hospital Boston Massachusetts USA
| | - Qing‐Peng Kong
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution/Key Laboratory of Healthy Aging Research of Yunnan Province Kunming Institute of Zoology Chinese Academy of Sciences Kunming Yunnan China
- Kunming Key Laboratory of Healthy Aging Study Kunming Yunnan China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics Chinese Academy of Sciences Kunming Yunnan China
- KIZ/CUHK Joint Laboratory of Bioresources and Molecular Research in Common Diseases Kunming Yunnan China
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Wang FS, Wang TY, Wu WH. Fuzzy multiobjective hierarchical optimization with application to identify antienzymes of colon cancer cells. J Taiwan Inst Chem Eng 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jtice.2021.10.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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Passi A, Tibocha-Bonilla JD, Kumar M, Tec-Campos D, Zengler K, Zuniga C. Genome-Scale Metabolic Modeling Enables In-Depth Understanding of Big Data. Metabolites 2021; 12:14. [PMID: 35050136 PMCID: PMC8778254 DOI: 10.3390/metabo12010014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Revised: 12/18/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Genome-scale metabolic models (GEMs) enable the mathematical simulation of the metabolism of archaea, bacteria, and eukaryotic organisms. GEMs quantitatively define a relationship between genotype and phenotype by contextualizing different types of Big Data (e.g., genomics, metabolomics, and transcriptomics). In this review, we analyze the available Big Data useful for metabolic modeling and compile the available GEM reconstruction tools that integrate Big Data. We also discuss recent applications in industry and research that include predicting phenotypes, elucidating metabolic pathways, producing industry-relevant chemicals, identifying drug targets, and generating knowledge to better understand host-associated diseases. In addition to the up-to-date review of GEMs currently available, we assessed a plethora of tools for developing new GEMs that include macromolecular expression and dynamic resolution. Finally, we provide a perspective in emerging areas, such as annotation, data managing, and machine learning, in which GEMs will play a key role in the further utilization of Big Data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anurag Passi
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0760, USA; (A.P.); (M.K.); (D.T.-C.); (K.Z.)
| | - Juan D. Tibocha-Bonilla
- Bioinformatics and Systems Biology Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0760, USA;
| | - Manish Kumar
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0760, USA; (A.P.); (M.K.); (D.T.-C.); (K.Z.)
| | - Diego Tec-Campos
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0760, USA; (A.P.); (M.K.); (D.T.-C.); (K.Z.)
- Facultad de Ingeniería Química, Campus de Ciencias Exactas e Ingenierías, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Merida 97203, Yucatan, Mexico
| | - Karsten Zengler
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0760, USA; (A.P.); (M.K.); (D.T.-C.); (K.Z.)
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0412, USA
- Center for Microbiome Innovation, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0403, USA
| | - Cristal Zuniga
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0760, USA; (A.P.); (M.K.); (D.T.-C.); (K.Z.)
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Nazarshodeh E, Marashi SA, Gharaghani S. Structural systems pharmacology: A framework for integrating metabolic network and structure-based virtual screening for drug discovery against bacteria. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0261267. [PMID: 34905555 PMCID: PMC8670682 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0261267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Accepted: 11/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Advances in genome-scale metabolic models (GEMs) and computational drug discovery have caused the identification of drug targets at the system-level and inhibitors to combat bacterial infection and drug resistance. Here we report a structural systems pharmacology framework that integrates the GEM and structure-based virtual screening (SBVS) method to identify drugs effective for Escherichia coli infection. The most complete genome-scale metabolic reconstruction integrated with protein structures (GEM-PRO) of E. coli, iML1515_GP, and FDA-approved drugs have been used. FBA was performed to predict drug targets in silico. The 195 essential genes were predicted in the rich medium. The subsystems in which a significant number of these genes are involved are cofactor, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) biosynthesis that are necessary for cell growth. Therefore, some proteins encoded by these genes are responsible for the biosynthesis and transport of LPS which is the first line of defense against threats. So, these proteins can be potential drug targets. The enzymes with experimental structure and cognate ligands were selected as final drug targets for performing the SBVS method. Finally, we have suggested those drugs that have good interaction with the selected proteins as drug repositioning cases. Also, the suggested molecules could be promising lead compounds. This framework may be helpful to fill the gap between genomics and drug discovery. Results show this framework suggests novel antibacterials that can be subjected to experimental testing soon and it can be suitable for other pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elmira Nazarshodeh
- Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Drug Design (LBD), Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sayed-Amir Marashi
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sajjad Gharaghani
- Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Drug Design (LBD), Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
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Cheng CT, Wang TY, Chen PR, Wu WH, Lai JM, Chang PMH, Hong YR, Huang CYF, Wang FS. Computer-Aided Design for Identifying Anticancer Targets in Genome-Scale Metabolic Models of Colon Cancer. BIOLOGY 2021; 10:biology10111115. [PMID: 34827109 PMCID: PMC8614794 DOI: 10.3390/biology10111115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2021] [Revised: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Simple Summary Discovery of anticancer targets with minimal side effects is a major challenge in drug discovery and development. This study developed a fuzzy optimization framework for identifying anticancer targets. The framework was applied to identify not only gene regulator targets but also metabolite- and reaction-centric targets. The computational results show that the combination of a carbon metabolism target and any one-target gene that participates in the sphingolipid, glycerophospholipid, nucleotide, cholesterol biosynthesis, or pentose phosphate pathways is more effective for treatment than one-target inhibition is, and a two-target combination of 5-FU and folate supplement can improve cell viability, reduce metabolic deviation, and reduce side effects of normal cells. Abstract The efficient discovery of anticancer targets with minimal side effects is a major challenge in drug discovery and development. Early prediction of side effects is key for reducing development costs, increasing drug efficacy, and increasing drug safety. This study developed a fuzzy optimization framework for Identifying AntiCancer Targets (IACT) using constraint-based models. Four objectives were established to evaluate the mortality of treated cancer cells and to minimize side effects causing toxicity-induced tumorigenesis on normal cells and smaller metabolic perturbations. Fuzzy set theory was applied to evaluate potential side effects and investigate the magnitude of metabolic deviations in perturbed cells compared with their normal counterparts. The framework was applied to identify not only gene regulator targets but also metabolite- and reaction-centric targets. A nested hybrid differential evolution algorithm with a hierarchical fitness function was applied to solve multilevel IACT problems. The results show that the combination of a carbon metabolism target and any one-target gene that participates in the sphingolipid, glycerophospholipid, nucleotide, cholesterol biosynthesis, or pentose phosphate pathways is more effective for treatment than one-target inhibition is. A clinical antimetabolite drug 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) has been used to inhibit synthesis of deoxythymidine-5′-triphosphate for treatment of colorectal cancer. The computational results reveal that a two-target combination of 5-FU and a folate supplement can improve cell viability, reduce metabolic deviation, and reduce side effects of normal cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao-Ting Cheng
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Chung Cheng University, Chiayi 62102, Taiwan; (C.-T.C.); (T.-Y.W.); (P.-R.C.); (W.-H.W.)
| | - Tsun-Yu Wang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Chung Cheng University, Chiayi 62102, Taiwan; (C.-T.C.); (T.-Y.W.); (P.-R.C.); (W.-H.W.)
| | - Pei-Rong Chen
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Chung Cheng University, Chiayi 62102, Taiwan; (C.-T.C.); (T.-Y.W.); (P.-R.C.); (W.-H.W.)
| | - Wu-Hsiung Wu
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Chung Cheng University, Chiayi 62102, Taiwan; (C.-T.C.); (T.-Y.W.); (P.-R.C.); (W.-H.W.)
| | - Jin-Mei Lai
- Department of Life Science, Fu-Jen Catholic University, New Taipei City 24205, Taiwan;
| | - Peter Mu-Hsin Chang
- Department of Oncology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei 11217, Taiwan;
- Faculty of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei 11211, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Ren Hong
- Department of Biochemistry, Graduate Institute of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung City 80708, Taiwan;
| | - Chi-Ying F. Huang
- Institute of Biopharmaceutical Sciences, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei 11211, Taiwan;
- Department of Biotechnology and Laboratory Science in Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei 11211, Taiwan
| | - Feng-Sheng Wang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Chung Cheng University, Chiayi 62102, Taiwan; (C.-T.C.); (T.-Y.W.); (P.-R.C.); (W.-H.W.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +886-5-2720411 (ext. 33404)
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Karta J, Bossicard Y, Kotzamanis K, Dolznig H, Letellier E. Mapping the Metabolic Networks of Tumor Cells and Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts. Cells 2021; 10:304. [PMID: 33540679 PMCID: PMC7912987 DOI: 10.3390/cells10020304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Revised: 01/20/2021] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Metabolism is considered to be the core of all cellular activity. Thus, extensive studies of metabolic processes are ongoing in various fields of biology, including cancer research. Cancer cells are known to adapt their metabolism to sustain high proliferation rates and survive in unfavorable environments with low oxygen and nutrient concentrations. Hence, targeting cancer cell metabolism is a promising therapeutic strategy in cancer research. However, cancers consist not only of genetically altered tumor cells but are interwoven with endothelial cells, immune cells and fibroblasts, which together with the extracellular matrix (ECM) constitute the tumor microenvironment (TME). Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), which are linked to poor prognosis in different cancer types, are one important component of the TME. CAFs play a significant role in reprogramming the metabolic landscape of tumor cells, but how, and in what manner, this interaction takes place remains rather unclear. This review aims to highlight the metabolic landscape of tumor cells and CAFs, including their recently identified subtypes, in different tumor types. In addition, we discuss various in vitro and in vivo metabolic techniques as well as different in silico computational tools that can be used to identify and characterize CAF-tumor cell interactions. Finally, we provide our view on how mapping the complex metabolic networks of stromal-tumor metabolism will help in finding novel metabolic targets for cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Karta
- Molecular Disease Mechanisms Group, Department of Life Sciences and Medicine, Faculty of Science, Technology and Medicine, University of Luxembourg, 6 avenue du Swing, L-4367 Belval, Luxembourg; (J.K.); (Y.B.); (K.K.)
| | - Ysaline Bossicard
- Molecular Disease Mechanisms Group, Department of Life Sciences and Medicine, Faculty of Science, Technology and Medicine, University of Luxembourg, 6 avenue du Swing, L-4367 Belval, Luxembourg; (J.K.); (Y.B.); (K.K.)
| | - Konstantinos Kotzamanis
- Molecular Disease Mechanisms Group, Department of Life Sciences and Medicine, Faculty of Science, Technology and Medicine, University of Luxembourg, 6 avenue du Swing, L-4367 Belval, Luxembourg; (J.K.); (Y.B.); (K.K.)
| | - Helmut Dolznig
- Tumor Stroma Interaction Group, Institute of Medical Genetics, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Strasse 10, 1090 Vienna, Austria;
| | - Elisabeth Letellier
- Molecular Disease Mechanisms Group, Department of Life Sciences and Medicine, Faculty of Science, Technology and Medicine, University of Luxembourg, 6 avenue du Swing, L-4367 Belval, Luxembourg; (J.K.); (Y.B.); (K.K.)
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