In the latest batch of Nature papers published online recently, a team from Cancer Research UK brought in a blockbuster study that found that oral administration of a simple monosaccharide could have a significant inhibitory effect on tumors. In their words, it is expected to become a simple, safe
anti-cancer therapy and can be used in a variety of cancer types.
At the beginning of the study, scientists pointed out keenly that cancer cells may have a series of metabolic abnormalities. In order to rapidly divide and proliferate, these cells have a high demand for carbohydrates. On the other hand, this is also the soft rib of cancer cells. If therapies can be developed to address the sugar uptake needs of cancer cells, they are expected to inhibit their growth.
Along the way, scientists began to assess whether cancer cells love all sugars. The study reveals a very interesting phenomenon: most sugars are the energy source for cancer cell growth, while a monosaccharide called mannose can significantly inhibit the growth of cancer cells.
▲Mannose (blue) can significantly inhibit the growth of cancer cells (photo source: reference [1])
Why is that? Researchers labeled different sugars with isotopes and analyzed them in depth in cells. It was not surprising that they found a significant increase in intracellular mannose levels under the action of mannose. But to the surprise of the researchers, intracellular glucose levels also increased significantly! This indicates that mannose can affect the metabolism of glucose.
Source of this article: academic longitude and latitude
