
New research published in Cell Reports suggests that “thrifty” key tumors may have an evolutionary energy saving ability that induces growth, according to a study conducted by co-authors from the University of Tokyo.
The study investigated cancer cells’ “metabolic flexibility” – or their ability to adapt to different nutrients and survive in different environments. The researchers found that when cancer cells were exposed to glucose, they doubled their reliance on stress-resistance pathways and increased their efficiency in metabolizing the nutrient.
This allowed the cells to use the glucose more efficiently, enabling them to preserve the energy required for growth and proliferation. The authors refer to this capability as “thrifty metabolism” and suggest that it is a cellular adaptation that could prove crucial to cancer cells’ survival when undergoing aggressive treatments.
The researchers note that in order to survive and keep growing, tumors need to be able to adapt quickly to changed environments. This finding implies that cancer tumors may be using these thrifty metabolic pathways to stay viable and grow despite their extreme nutrient deprived conditions.
The findings in this study could provide valuable insight into the way cancer cells maintain their growth and survive under aggressive treatments. It suggests that cancer cells are capable of adapting and using their “thrifty metabolism” to access stored energy reserves, and that this may enable them to remain viable.
These results could prove critical for the development of therapeutic strategies that target the thrifty metabolism of cancers, allowing us to more effectively combat the disease. With this research, scientists may be able to develop better and more targeted treatments that are tailored to a particular tumor’s ability to adapt and survive.
“Thrifty” Most important Tumors Might Conserve Strength for Advancement Know-how Networks
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