Cancer cells have a sweet tooth to exploit

“The next big wave” of cancer research seems to be exploiting the unique metabolism of cancer cells, according to Dr. David Schenkein, chief executive of Agios Pharmaceuticals. In this article from the New York Times, researchers discuss the possibilities of fighting cancer by depriving the cells of nutrients. Their “voracious appetite” for glucose fuels the rapid growth of cancerous cells. While previous research focused on finding target drugs to the genetic accelerators of tumors (the signals for tumor growth), these drugs were often ineffective as many tumors had more that one type of accelerator to target.  The idea behind this new line of research suggests that depriving the tumors of their beloved glucose should  “render the accelerators ineffective”.  While it might seem simple to starve cancer cells by lowering blood glucose levels, in fact it is more complicated than this. Our bodies are highly efficient at regulating blood glucose levels, even when we are starving, AND, even if there were low levels of glucose, cancer cells which are highly adept at extracting glucose, would be the last surviving cells. For these reasons, research is focusing not on lowering glucose levels, but instead on exploiting the unique ways in which tumor cells utilize glucose. Unlike normal cells, cancer cells turn glucose into energy by glycolysis, even in the presence of oxygen. Drugs are being developed that exploit this difference in tumor cell metabolism or that target enzymes unique to tumor metabolism. Another important difference between normal cells and cancer cells is that cancer cells do not commit suicide. One theory is that cancer cells do not commit suicide because they lack sufficient energy. Chemical inhibitors are being studied that alter the metabolism of cancer cells, moving them away from glycolysis and making them more efficient at producing ATP. These drugs have been studied in genetically engineered rats and have shown to be effective in slowing the growth of lung tumors.