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Wang D, Zhu L, Liu H, Feng X, Zhang C, Li T, Liu B, Liu L, Sun J, Chang H, Chen S, Guo S, Yang W. Huangqin tang alleviates colitis-associated colorectal cancer via amino acids homeostasisand PI3K/AKT/mtor pathway modulation. JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY 2024; 334:118597. [PMID: 39034016 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2024.118597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2024] [Revised: 04/29/2024] [Accepted: 07/17/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Huangqin Tang (HQT), a traditional Chinese medicine formula, is commonly used in clinical practice for the treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases. It has been reported that HQT exerts antitumor effects on colitis-associated colorectal cancer (CAC). However, the mechanism by which HQT interferes with the inflammation-to-cancer transformation remains unclear. AIMS OF THE STUDY The purpose of this study was to dynamically evaluate the efficacy of HQT in alleviating or delaying CAC and to reveal the underlying mechanism. METHODS We established a mouse model of CAC using azoxymethane combined with 1.5% dextran sodium sulphate. The efficacy of HQT was evaluated based on pathological sections and serum biochemical indices. Subsequently, amino acids (AAs) metabolism analyses were performed using ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, and the phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase/protein kinase B/mechanistic target of rapamycin (PI3K/AKT/mTOR) pathway was detected by western blotting. RESULTS The data demonstrated that HQT could alleviate the development of CAC in the animal model. HQT effectively reduced the inflammatory response, particularly interleukin-6 (IL-6), in the inflammation induction stage, as well as in the stages of proliferation initiation and tumorigenesis. During the proliferation initiation and tumorigenesis stages, immunohistochemistry staining showed that the expression of the proliferation marker Ki67 was reduced, while apoptosis was increased in the HQT group. Accordingly, HQT substantially decreased the levels of specific AAs in the colon with CAC, including glutamic acid, glutamine, arginine, and isoleucine. Furthermore, HQT significantly inhibited the activated PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway, which may contribute to suppression of cell proliferation and enhancement of apoptosis. CONCLUSION HQT is effective in alleviating and delaying the colon "inflammation-to-cancer". The mechanism of action may involve HQT maintained AAs metabolism homeostasis and regulated PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway, so as to maintain the balance between proliferation and apoptosis, and then interfere in the occurrence and development of CAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dunfang Wang
- Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China.
| | - Lin Zhu
- Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China.
| | - Haifan Liu
- Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China.
| | - Xue Feng
- Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China.
| | - Caijuan Zhang
- Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China.
| | - Tao Li
- Experimental Research Center, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China.
| | - Bin Liu
- Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China.
| | - Li Liu
- Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China.
| | - Jingwei Sun
- Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100700, China.
| | - Hao Chang
- Experimental Research Center, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China.
| | - Siyuan Chen
- Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China.
| | - Shanshan Guo
- Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China.
| | - Weipeng Yang
- Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China.
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Fan Y, Xue H, Li Z, Huo M, Gao H, Guan X. Exploiting the Achilles' heel of cancer: disrupting glutamine metabolism for effective cancer treatment. Front Pharmacol 2024; 15:1345522. [PMID: 38510646 PMCID: PMC10952006 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1345522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Cancer cells have adapted to rapid tumor growth and evade immune attack by reprogramming their metabolic pathways. Glutamine is an important nitrogen resource for synthesizing amino acids and nucleotides and an important carbon source in the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle and lipid biosynthesis pathway. In this review, we summarize the significant role of glutamine metabolism in tumor development and highlight the vulnerabilities of targeting glutamine metabolism for effective therapy. In particular, we review the reported drugs targeting glutaminase and glutamine uptake for efficient cancer treatment. Moreover, we discuss the current clinical test about targeting glutamine metabolism and the prospective direction of drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuxin Fan
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Diagnostics, School of Medical Technology, Beihua University, Jilin City, China
- Department of Basic Medicine, Medical School, Taizhou University, Taizhou, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Han Xue
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Diagnostics, School of Medical Technology, Beihua University, Jilin City, China
- Department of Basic Medicine, Medical School, Taizhou University, Taizhou, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Zhimin Li
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Diagnostics, School of Medical Technology, Beihua University, Jilin City, China
- Department of Basic Medicine, Medical School, Taizhou University, Taizhou, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Mingge Huo
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Diagnostics, School of Medical Technology, Beihua University, Jilin City, China
- Department of Basic Medicine, Medical School, Taizhou University, Taizhou, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Hongxia Gao
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Diagnostics, School of Medical Technology, Beihua University, Jilin City, China
| | - Xingang Guan
- Department of Basic Medicine, Medical School, Taizhou University, Taizhou, Zhejiang Province, China
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Du W, Xia G, Chen L, Geng L, Xu R, Han Q, Ying X, Yu H. Clinical value of SLC12A9 for diagnosis and prognosis in colorectal cancer. Aging (Albany NY) 2023; 15:15419-15433. [PMID: 38157260 PMCID: PMC10781446 DOI: 10.18632/aging.205360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The goal of the study is to assess the clinical value and the potential mechanism of SLC12A9 combing transcriptome and single cell sequencing data. METHODS In this study, the expression level and the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis of SLC12A9 in CRC and normal tissue were analyzed in multiple data cohort. The standardized mean difference (SMD) calculation and the summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC) analysis were performed further to detect its diagnostic ability and expression level. KM survival analysis was performed to assess the prognosis value of SLC12A9. The expression level of SLC12A9 in different clinical characteristics was analyzed to explore the clinical value. Single cell data was studied to reveal the potential mechanism of SLC12A9. The correlation analysis of immunoinfiltration was performed to detect the potential immune cell related to SLC12A9. The nomogram was drawn to assess the probable mortality rate of CRC patient. RESULTS We found that SLC12A9 was significantly up-regulated with the moderate diagnostic value in CRC. Patients with overexpressed SLC12A9 had a worse prognosis. SLC12A9 was related to Age, Pathologic N stage, Pathologic M stage, Lymphatic invasion and Pathologic stage (p < 0.05). The 1, 3 and 5-year survival rates of patient named TCGA-G4-6309 are 0.959, 0.897 and 0.827. PCR also showed that SLC12A9 was overexpressed in CRC comparing with normal tissue. CONCLUSION In conclusion, our study comprehensively analyzed the clinical value of SLC12A9 and its potential mechanism, as well as immune cell infiltration, which may accelerate the diagnosis and improve the prognosis of CRC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wang Du
- Department of General Surgery, Fuyang Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Fuyang, Anhui 236000, China
| | - Guozhi Xia
- Department of General Surgery, Fuyang Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Fuyang, Anhui 236000, China
| | - Liang Chen
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Conversion therapy center for Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Tumors, First Hospital of Jiaxing, Affiliated Hospital of Jiaxing University, Jiaxing, Zhejiang 314041, China
| | - Lingjun Geng
- Department of General Surgery, Fuyang Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Fuyang, Anhui 236000, China
| | - Rubin Xu
- Department of General Surgery, Fuyang Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Fuyang, Anhui 236000, China
| | - Qingqing Han
- Department of General Surgery, Fuyang Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Fuyang, Anhui 236000, China
| | - Xiaomei Ying
- Suzhou Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Suzhou, Anhui 234000, China
| | - Hongzhu Yu
- Department of General Surgery, Fuyang Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Fuyang, Anhui 236000, China
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Lavoro A, Falzone L, Tomasello B, Conti GN, Libra M, Candido S. In silico analysis of the solute carrier (SLC) family in cancer indicates a link among DNA methylation, metabolic adaptation, drug response, and immune reactivity. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1191262. [PMID: 37397501 PMCID: PMC10308049 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1191262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: The oncogenic transformation is driven by genetic and epigenetic alterations influencing cancer cell fate. These alterations also result in metabolic reprogramming by modulating the expression of membrane Solute Carrier (SLC) transporters involved in biomolecules trafficking. SLCs act as tumor suppressors or promoters influencing cancer methylome, tumor growth, immune-escape, and chemoresistance. Methods: This in silico study aimed to identify the deregulated SLCs in various tumor types compared to normal tissues by analyzing the TCGA Target GTEx dataset. Furthermore, the relationship between SLCs expression and the most relevant tumor features was tackled along with their genetic regulation mediated by DNA methylation. Results: We identified 62 differentially expressed SLCs, including the downregulated SLC25A27 and SLC17A7, as well as the upregulated SLC27A2 and SLC12A8. Notably, SLC4A4 and SLC7A11 expression was associated with favorable and unfavorable outcome, respectively. Moreover, SLC6A14, SLC34A2, and SLC1A2 were linked to tumor immune responsiveness. Interestingly, SLC24A5 and SLC45A2 positively correlated with anti-MEK and anti-RAF sensitivity. The expression of relevant SLCs was correlated with hypo- and hyper-methylation of promoter and body region, showing an established DNA methylation pattern. Noteworthy, the positive association of cg06690548 (SLC7A11) methylation with cancer outcome suggests the independent predictive role of DNA methylation at a single nucleotide resolution. Discussion: Although our in silico overview revealed a wide heterogeneity depending on different SLCs functions and tumor types, we identified key SLCs and pointed out the role of DNA methylation as regulatory mechanism of their expression. Overall, these findings deserve further studies to identify novel cancer biomarkers and promising therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Lavoro
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Luca Falzone
- Epidemiology Unit, IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Tumori “Fondazione G. Pascale”, Naples, Italy
| | - Barbara Tomasello
- Department of Drug and Health Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Nicolò Conti
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Massimo Libra
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
- Research Center for Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Cancer, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Saverio Candido
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
- Research Center for Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Cancer, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
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Chen Z, Chen H, Huang L, Duan B, Dai S, Cai W, Sun M, Jiang Z, Lu R, Jiang Y, Jiang X, Zheng H, Yao Q, Kim K, Lin G, Xie C, Chu M, Chen R, Kou L. ATB 0,+-targeted nanoparticles initiate autophagy suppression to overcome chemoresistance for enhanced colorectal cancer therapy. Int J Pharm 2023:123082. [PMID: 37244464 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2023.123082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Revised: 05/13/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Oxaliplatin (OXA) resistance remains the major obstacle to the successful chemotherapy of colorectal cancer (CRC). As a self-protection mechanism, autophagy may contribute to tumor drug resistance, therefore autophagy suppression could be regarded as a possible treatment option in chemotherapy. Cancer cells, especially drug-resistant tumor cells, increase their demand for specific amino acids by expanding exogenous supply and up-regulating de novo synthesis, to meet the needs for excessive proliferation. Therefore, it is possible to inhibit cancer cell proliferation through pharmacologically blocking the entry of amino acid into cancer cells. SLC6A14 (ATB0, +) is an essential amino acid transporter, that is often abnormally up-regulated in most cancer cells. Herein, in this study, we designed oxaliplatin/berbamine-coloaded, ATB0,+-targeted nanoparticles ((O+B)@Trp-NPs) to therapeutically target SLC6A14 (ATB0, +) and inhibit cancer proliferation. The (O+B)@Trp-NPs utilize the surface-modified tryptophan to achieve SLC6A14-targeted delivery of Berbamine (BBM), a compound that is found in a number of plants used in traditional Chinese medicine, which could suppress autolysosome formation though impairing autophagosome-lysosome fusion. We verified the feasibility of this strategy to overcome the OXA resistance during colorectal cancer treatment. The (O+B)@Trp-NPs significantly inhibited the proliferation and decreased the drug resistance of resistant colorectal cancer cells. In vivo, (O+B)@Trp-NPs greatly suppressed the tumor growth in tumor-bearing mice, which is consistent with the in vitro data. This research offers a unique and promising chemotherapeutic treatment for colorectal cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiwei Chen
- Wenzhou Municipal Key Laboratory of Pediatric Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacy, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325027, China; Key Laboratory of Structural Malformations in Children of Zhejiang Province, Wenzhou 325027, China; Zhejiang Engineering Research Center for Innovation and Application of Intelligent Radiotherapy Technology, Wenzhou 325000, China; Wenzhou key Laboratory of basic science and translational research of radiation oncology, Wenzhou 325027, China; Zhejiang-Hong Kong Precision Theranostics of Thoracic Tumors Joint Laboratory, Wenzhou 325000, China; School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325035, China; College of Pharmacy and Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 61186, Korea
| | - Heyan Chen
- Wenzhou Municipal Key Laboratory of Pediatric Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacy, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325027, China; Zhejiang Engineering Research Center for Innovation and Application of Intelligent Radiotherapy Technology, Wenzhou 325000, China; Wenzhou key Laboratory of basic science and translational research of radiation oncology, Wenzhou 325027, China; Zhejiang-Hong Kong Precision Theranostics of Thoracic Tumors Joint Laboratory, Wenzhou 325000, China
| | - Lihui Huang
- Wenzhou Municipal Key Laboratory of Pediatric Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacy, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325027, China; Zhejiang Engineering Research Center for Innovation and Application of Intelligent Radiotherapy Technology, Wenzhou 325000, China
| | - Baiqun Duan
- Wenzhou Municipal Key Laboratory of Pediatric Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacy, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325027, China; Zhejiang Engineering Research Center for Innovation and Application of Intelligent Radiotherapy Technology, Wenzhou 325000, China
| | - Sheng Dai
- Wenzhou Municipal Key Laboratory of Pediatric Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacy, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325027, China; Key Laboratory of Structural Malformations in Children of Zhejiang Province, Wenzhou 325027, China
| | - Wenjing Cai
- Wenzhou Municipal Key Laboratory of Pediatric Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacy, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325027, China; Key Laboratory of Structural Malformations in Children of Zhejiang Province, Wenzhou 325027, China
| | - Meng Sun
- Wenzhou Municipal Key Laboratory of Pediatric Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacy, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325027, China; Key Laboratory of Structural Malformations in Children of Zhejiang Province, Wenzhou 325027, China
| | - Zhikai Jiang
- Wenzhou Municipal Key Laboratory of Pediatric Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacy, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325027, China; Zhejiang Engineering Research Center for Innovation and Application of Intelligent Radiotherapy Technology, Wenzhou 325000, China
| | - Ruijie Lu
- Wenzhou Municipal Key Laboratory of Pediatric Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacy, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325027, China; Zhejiang Engineering Research Center for Innovation and Application of Intelligent Radiotherapy Technology, Wenzhou 325000, China
| | - Yiling Jiang
- Wenzhou Municipal Key Laboratory of Pediatric Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacy, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325027, China; Zhejiang Engineering Research Center for Innovation and Application of Intelligent Radiotherapy Technology, Wenzhou 325000, China
| | - Xinyu Jiang
- Wenzhou Municipal Key Laboratory of Pediatric Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacy, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325027, China; Zhejiang Engineering Research Center for Innovation and Application of Intelligent Radiotherapy Technology, Wenzhou 325000, China
| | - Hailun Zheng
- Wenzhou Municipal Key Laboratory of Pediatric Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacy, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325027, China; Zhejiang Engineering Research Center for Innovation and Application of Intelligent Radiotherapy Technology, Wenzhou 325000, China
| | - Qing Yao
- Wenzhou Municipal Key Laboratory of Pediatric Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacy, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325027, China; School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325035, China
| | - Kwonseop Kim
- College of Pharmacy and Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 61186, Korea
| | - Guangyong Lin
- Wenzhou Municipal Key Laboratory of Pediatric Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacy, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325027, China; Key Laboratory of Structural Malformations in Children of Zhejiang Province, Wenzhou 325027, China.
| | - Congying Xie
- Wenzhou Municipal Key Laboratory of Pediatric Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacy, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325027, China; Zhejiang Engineering Research Center for Innovation and Application of Intelligent Radiotherapy Technology, Wenzhou 325000, China; Wenzhou key Laboratory of basic science and translational research of radiation oncology, Wenzhou 325027, China; Zhejiang-Hong Kong Precision Theranostics of Thoracic Tumors Joint Laboratory, Wenzhou 325000, China.
| | - Maoping Chu
- Wenzhou Municipal Key Laboratory of Pediatric Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacy, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325027, China; Key Laboratory of Structural Malformations in Children of Zhejiang Province, Wenzhou 325027, China.
| | - Ruijie Chen
- Wenzhou Municipal Key Laboratory of Pediatric Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacy, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325027, China; Key Laboratory of Structural Malformations in Children of Zhejiang Province, Wenzhou 325027, China
| | - Longfa Kou
- Wenzhou Municipal Key Laboratory of Pediatric Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacy, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325027, China; Key Laboratory of Structural Malformations in Children of Zhejiang Province, Wenzhou 325027, China; Zhejiang Engineering Research Center for Innovation and Application of Intelligent Radiotherapy Technology, Wenzhou 325000, China; Wenzhou key Laboratory of basic science and translational research of radiation oncology, Wenzhou 325027, China; Zhejiang-Hong Kong Precision Theranostics of Thoracic Tumors Joint Laboratory, Wenzhou 325000, China.
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Jin J, Byun JK, Choi YK, Park KG. Targeting glutamine metabolism as a therapeutic strategy for cancer. Exp Mol Med 2023; 55:706-715. [PMID: 37009798 PMCID: PMC10167356 DOI: 10.1038/s12276-023-00971-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 87.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Revised: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 04/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Proliferating cancer cells rely largely on glutamine for survival and proliferation. Glutamine serves as a carbon source for the synthesis of lipids and metabolites via the TCA cycle, as well as a source of nitrogen for amino acid and nucleotide synthesis. To date, many studies have explored the role of glutamine metabolism in cancer, thereby providing a scientific rationale for targeting glutamine metabolism for cancer treatment. In this review, we summarize the mechanism(s) involved at each step of glutamine metabolism, from glutamine transporters to redox homeostasis, and highlight areas that can be exploited for clinical cancer treatment. Furthermore, we discuss the mechanisms underlying cancer cell resistance to agents that target glutamine metabolism, as well as strategies for overcoming these mechanisms. Finally, we discuss the effects of glutamine blockade on the tumor microenvironment and explore strategies to maximize the utility of glutamine blockers as a cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonghwa Jin
- Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Kyungpook National University Hospital, Daegu, 41944, South Korea
| | - Jun-Kyu Byun
- BK21 FOUR Community-based Intelligent Novel Drug Discovery Education Unit, Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, 41566, Korea
| | - Yeon-Kyung Choi
- Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Kyungpook National University Chilgok Hospital, Daegu, 41404, Korea.
| | - Keun-Gyu Park
- Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Kyungpook National University Hospital, Daegu, 41944, South Korea.
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