Scientists have identified a novel protein pathway across several types of cancer that controls how tumor cells acquire the energy necessary for movement, invasion and metastasis. This protein pathway was previously only observed in neurons and represents a potential therapeutic target for several types of cancer. Study results were published in the journal Nature Communications.
Mitochondria serve as power generators of the cell, responsible for converting oxygen and nutrients into energy for cellular processes. Researchers have long observed that, instead of relying on mitochondria and oxygen, tumor cells switch to a different system of energy production to compensate for their increased energy needs and the low levels of oxygen typically found in tumor tissues. This process is known as the Warburg effect, and because it had been well-established in cancer cells, mitochondria were not regarded as major players in tumor biology until recently. This study confirms that mitochondria play an important role especially in disease progression, during which tumor cells break out of the primary mass and invade distant tissues in the body.
The research laboratory found that mitochondria in tumor cells are repositioned close to the cell membrane to provide energy for movement. While this type of cellular behavior had been previously only observed in neurons, the group showed how a network of proteins, including SNPH and its partners, that control mitochondria trafficking in neurons are reprogrammed to perform the same function in tumor cells.
Using a genome-wide screening approach, researchers discovered that SNPH inhibits cell invasion by reducing cell movement in prostate cancer cells. They also found that when SNPH expression is inhibited, the mitochondria relocate from their typical position around the cell nucleus to the cell membrane. They evaluated the expression levels of SNPH and its partners in tissue samples from patients with epithelial and hematologic malignancies and found that reduced levels of SNPH correlate with disease progression and unfavorable prognosis across the tumor types.
http://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms13730
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