Understanding cachexia as a cancer metabolism syndrome

: Metabolic reprogramming is a significant property of various cancer cells, which most commonly arises from the Tumor Microenvironment (TME). The events of metabolic pathways include the Warburg effect, shifting in Krebs cycle metabolites, and the rate of oxidative phosphorylation, potentially providing energy and structural requirements for the development and invasiveness of cancer cells. TME and tumor metabolism shifting have a close relationship through bidirectional signaling pathways between stromal and tumor cells. Cancer- Associated Fibroblasts (CAFs), as the most dominant cells of TME, play a crucial role in the aberrant metabolism of cancer. Furthermore, the stated relationship can affect survival, progression, and metastasis in cancer development. Recently, exosomes are considered one of the most prominent factors in cellular communications considering effective content and bidirectional mediatory effect between tumor and stromal cells. In this regard, CAF-Derived Exosomes (CDE) exhibit an efficient obligation to induce metabolic reprogramming for promoting growth and metastasis of cancer cells. The understanding of cancer metabolism, including factors related to TME, could lead to the discovery of a potential biomarker for diagnostic and therapeutic approaches in cancer management. This review focuses on the association between metabolic reprogramming and engaged microenvironmental, factors such as CAFs, and the associated derived exosomes.

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Hemistepsin A suppresses colorectal cancer growth through inhibiting pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase activity

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-020-79019-1 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Ling Jin ◽

Eun-Yeong Kim ◽

Tae-Wook Chung ◽

Chang Woo Han ◽

So Young Park ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Colorectal Cancer ◽

Cancer Cells ◽

Pyruvate Dehydrogenase ◽

Cancer Metabolism ◽

Aerobic Glycolysis ◽

Lactate Production ◽

Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Kinase ◽

Cancer Drug ◽

Potential Candidate ◽

Mitochondrial Ros

AbstractMost cancer cells primarily produce their energy through a high rate of glycolysis followed by lactic acid fermentation even in the presence of abundant oxygen. Pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase (PDK) 1, an enzyme responsible for aerobic glycolysis via phosphorylating and inactivating pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) complex, is commonly overexpressed in tumors and recognized as a therapeutic target in colorectal cancer. Hemistepsin A (HsA) is a sesquiterpene lactone isolated from Hemistepta lyrata Bunge (Compositae). Here, we report that HsA is a PDK1 inhibitor can reduce the growth of colorectal cancer and consequent activation of mitochondrial ROS-dependent apoptotic pathway both in vivo and in vitro. Computational simulation and biochemical assays showed that HsA directly binds to the lipoamide-binding site of PDK1, and subsequently inhibits the interaction of PDK1 with the E2 subunit of PDH complex. As a result of PDK1 inhibition, lactate production was decreased, but oxygen consumption was increased. Mitochondrial ROS levels and mitochondrial damage were also increased. Consistent with these observations, the apoptosis of colorectal cancer cells was promoted by HsA with enhanced activation of caspase-3 and -9. These results suggested that HsA might be a potential candidate for developing a novel anti-cancer drug through suppressing cancer metabolism.

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Amino Acid Transporters on the Guard of Cell Genome and Epigenome

Cancers ◽

10.3390/cancers13010125 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

pp. 125

Author(s):

Uğur Kahya ◽

Ayşe Sedef Köseer ◽

Anna Dubrovska

Keyword(s):

Amino Acid ◽

Cancer Metabolism ◽

Tumor Imaging ◽

Redox Homeostasis ◽

Amino Acid Uptake ◽

Metabolic Reprogramming ◽

Tumor Evolution ◽

Amino Acid Transporters ◽

Acid Uptake ◽

Growth And Survival

Tumorigenesis is driven by metabolic reprogramming. Oncogenic mutations and epigenetic alterations that cause metabolic rewiring may also upregulate the reactive oxygen species (ROS). Precise regulation of the intracellular ROS levels is critical for tumor cell growth and survival. High ROS production leads to the damage of vital macromolecules, such as DNA, proteins, and lipids, causing genomic instability and further tumor evolution. One of the hallmarks of cancer metabolism is deregulated amino acid uptake. In fast-growing tumors, amino acids are not only the source of energy and building intermediates but also critical regulators of redox homeostasis. Amino acid uptake regulates the intracellular glutathione (GSH) levels, endoplasmic reticulum stress, unfolded protein response signaling, mTOR-mediated antioxidant defense, and epigenetic adaptations of tumor cells to oxidative stress. This review summarizes the role of amino acid transporters as the defender of tumor antioxidant system and genome integrity and discusses them as promising therapeutic targets and tumor imaging tools.

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The use of hyperpolarised 13C-MRI in clinical body imaging to probe cancer metabolism

British Journal of Cancer ◽

10.1038/s41416-020-01224-6 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Ramona Woitek ◽

Ferdia A. Gallagher

Keyword(s):

Cancer Metabolism ◽

Signal To Noise Ratio ◽

Response Assessment ◽

Early Response ◽

Multiparametric Mri ◽

Metabolic Reprogramming ◽

Response To Treatment ◽

Additional Information ◽

Positron Emission ◽

Breast And Prostate Cancer

AbstractMetabolic reprogramming is one of the hallmarks of cancer and includes the Warburg effect, which is exhibited by many tumours. This can be exploited by positron emission tomography (PET) as part of routine clinical cancer imaging. However, an emerging and alternative method to detect altered metabolism is carbon-13 magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) following injection of hyperpolarised [1-13C]pyruvate. The technique increases the signal-to-noise ratio for the detection of hyperpolarised 13C-labelled metabolites by several orders of magnitude and facilitates the dynamic, noninvasive imaging of the exchange of 13C-pyruvate to 13C-lactate over time. The method has produced promising preclinical results in the area of oncology and is currently being explored in human imaging studies. The first translational studies have demonstrated the safety and feasibility of the technique in patients with prostate, renal, breast and pancreatic cancer, as well as revealing a successful response to treatment in breast and prostate cancer patients at an earlier stage than multiparametric MRI. This review will focus on the strengths of the technique and its applications in the area of oncological body MRI including noninvasive characterisation of disease aggressiveness, mapping of tumour heterogeneity, and early response assessment. A comparison of hyperpolarised 13C-MRI with state-of-the-art multiparametric MRI is likely to reveal the unique additional information and applications offered by the technique.

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SUMO-Activating Enzyme Subunit 1 (SAE1) Is a Promising Diagnostic Cancer Metabolism Biomarker of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Cells ◽

10.3390/cells10010178 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

pp. 178

Author(s):

Jiann Ruey Ong ◽

Oluwaseun Adebayo Bamodu ◽

Nguyen Viet Khang ◽

Yen-Kuang Lin ◽

Chi-Tai Yeh ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽

Cancer Metabolism ◽

Interaction Analysis ◽

Normal Liver ◽

Diagnostic Value ◽

Vital Role ◽

Regulation Of Transcription ◽

Dependent Manner ◽

Post Translational Modification ◽

Characteristic Analysis

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most diagnosed malignancies and a leading cause of cancer-related mortality globally. This is exacerbated by its highly aggressive phenotype, and limitation in early diagnosis and effective therapies. The SUMO-activating enzyme subunit 1 (SAE1) is a component of a heterodimeric small ubiquitin-related modifier that plays a vital role in SUMOylation, a post-translational modification involving in cellular events such as regulation of transcription, cell cycle and apoptosis. Reported overexpression of SAE1 in glioma in a stage-dependent manner suggests it has a probable role in cancer initiation and progression. In this study, hypothesizing that SAE1 is implicated in HCC metastatic phenotype and poor prognosis, we analyzed the expression of SAE1 in several cancer databases and to unravel the underlying molecular mechanism of SAE1-associated hepatocarcinogenesis. Here, we demonstrated that SAE1 is over-expressed in HCC samples compared to normal liver tissue, and this observed SAE1 overexpression is stage and grade-dependent and associated with poor survival. The receiver operating characteristic analysis of SAE1 in TCGA−LIHC patients (n = 421) showed an AUC of 0.925, indicating an excellent diagnostic value of SAE1 in HCC. Our protein-protein interaction analysis for SAE1 showed that SAE1 interacted with and activated oncogenes such as PLK1, CCNB1, CDK4 and CDK1, while simultaneously inhibiting tumor suppressors including PDK4, KLF9, FOXO1 and ALDH2. Immunohistochemical staining and clinicopathological correlate analysis of SAE1 in our TMU-SHH HCC cohort (n = 54) further validated the overexpression of SAE1 in cancerous liver tissues compared with ‘normal’ paracancerous tissue, and high SAE1 expression was strongly correlated with metastasis and disease progression. The oncogenic effect of upregulated SAE1 is associated with dysregulated cancer metabolic signaling. In conclusion, the present study demonstrates that SAE1 is a targetable cancer metabolic biomarker with high potential diagnostic and prognostic implications for patients with HCC.

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Metabolic Anti-Cancer Effects of Melatonin: Clinically Relevant Prospects

Cancers ◽

10.3390/cancers13123018 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (12) ◽

pp. 3018

Author(s):

Marek Samec ◽

Alena Liskova ◽

Lenka Koklesova ◽

Kevin Zhai ◽

Elizabeth Varghese ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cancer Metabolism ◽

Glucose Transporter ◽

Aerobic Glycolysis ◽

Cell Metabolism ◽

Lactate Production ◽

Pentose Phosphate ◽

Metabolic Reprogramming ◽

Effective Prevention ◽

Anti Cancer ◽

Glucose 6 Phosphate Dehydrogenase

Metabolic reprogramming characterized by alterations in nutrient uptake and critical molecular pathways associated with cancer cell metabolism represents a fundamental process of malignant transformation. Melatonin (N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine) is a hormone secreted by the pineal gland. Melatonin primarily regulates circadian rhythms but also exerts anti-inflammatory, anti-depressant, antioxidant and anti-tumor activities. Concerning cancer metabolism, melatonin displays significant anticancer effects via the regulation of key components of aerobic glycolysis, gluconeogenesis, the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) and lipid metabolism. Melatonin treatment affects glucose transporter (GLUT) expression, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) activity, lactate production and other metabolic contributors. Moreover, melatonin modulates critical players in cancer development, such as HIF-1 and p53. Taken together, melatonin has notable anti-cancer effects at malignancy initiation, progression and metastasing. Further investigations of melatonin impacts relevant for cancer metabolism are expected to create innovative approaches supportive for the effective prevention and targeted therapy of cancers.

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