A network of signals active in almost all types of cancer sends the protein factories in our cells into overdrive, and may help fuel a tumour's uncontrolled growth, new research suggests.
Scientists at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, identified a molecular trigger responsible for ratcheting up activity of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) – the cellular factory that makes the building blocks cancer cells need to keep growing.
A protein in the TOR signalling pathway, called SREBP, controls the flow of messages to the endoplasmic reticulum telling it to expand – and could allow cancer cells to produce enough proteins and lipids to fuel their non-stop growth.
The findings may help to explain how cancer cells maintain their high levels of metabolism – and could uncover future targets for cancer treatment.
The study was published in the journal PLOS ONE, and funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), with additional support from the Wellcome Trust.
Unlike healthy cells, cancer cells are constantly growing, and so need to keep making proteins and lipids - the building blocks of all cells.
In healthy cells constant growth can overwhelm cellular factories like the ER, leading to cell stress and death, but cancer cells manage to keep their factories running at high capacity to fuel non-stop growth.
Scientists at The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) used the cells of fruit flies, modified with a fluorescent marker that is activated when the cells are put under stress, to identify the signals responsible for driving up activity of the ER.
They systematically silenced genes thought to be important to the smooth working of the ER and measured the stress signals produced in response.
They found that silencing the TOR signalling pathway - activated in many different types of cancer - increased ER stress in the cells. When they blocked TOR signals, cells took longer to recover from ER stress and the ER factory shrank.
Their findings suggest the TOR signalling pathway promotes cell growth while simultaneously ensuring productivity of the ER matches this growth. And the protein SREBP, which is part of the TOR signalling pathway, appeared to be essential for promoting expansion of the ER, and ensuring it carried out its factory activities effectively.
Lead author Dr Chris Bakal, leader of the Dynamical Cell Systems Team at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, said: "The endoplasmic reticulum is the factory of our cells, creating the proteins and lipids needed for our cells to grow and proliferate. In cancer cells, this factory is active all the time, churning out the building blocks that cancer cells need for their rapid growth.
"We have discovered the key role played by the TOR signalling pathway in driving the expansion of the endoplasmic reticulum, and sending a cell's factories into overdrive. The TOR pathway is active in many types of cancer, and our study provides new insights into how cancer metabolism works, and suggests that these metabolic signals could be excellent targets for future treatments."
For more information about this research, for a copy of the paper or to request an interview, please contact Graham Shaw in The Institute of Cancer Research media team on 020 7153 5380 or graham.shaw@icr.ac.uk. For enquiries out of office hours, please call 07976 751 984.
The Institute of Cancer Research, London, is one of the world's most influential cancer research institutes. Scientists and clinicians at The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) are working every day to make a real impact on cancer patients' lives. Through its unique partnership with The Royal Marsden Hospital and 'bench-to-bedside' approach, the ICR is able to create and deliver results in a way that other institutions cannot. Together the two organisations are rated in the top four cancer centres globally.
The ICR has an outstanding record of achievement dating back more than 100 years. It provided the first convincing evidence that DNA damage is the basic cause of cancer, laying the foundation for the now universally accepted idea that cancer is a genetic disease. Today it leads the world at isolating cancer-related genes and discovering new targeted drugs for personalised cancer treatment. As a college of the University of London, the ICR provides postgraduate higher education of international distinction. It has charitable status and relies on support from partner organisations, charities and the general public. The ICR's mission is to make the discoveries that defeat cancer. For more information visit http://www.icr.ac.uk
About the Wellcome Trust The Wellcome Trust is a global charitable foundation dedicated to achieving extraordinary improvements in human and animal health. It supports the brightest minds in biomedical research and the medical humanities. The Trust's breadth of support includes public engagement, education and the application of research to improve health. It is independent of both political and commercial interests. http://www.wellcome.ac.uk
About BBSRC The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) invests in world-class bioscience research and training on behalf of the UK public. Our aim is to further scientific knowledge, to promote economic growth, wealth and job creation and to improve quality of life in the UK and beyond. Funded by Government, and with an annual budget of around £467M (2012-2013), we support research and training in universities and strategically funded institutes. BBSRC research and the people we fund are helping society to meet major challenges, including food security, green energy and healthier, longer lives. Our investments underpin important UK economic sectors, such as farming, food, industrial biotechnology and pharmaceuticals. For more information about BBSRC, our science and our impact see: http://www.bbsrc.ac.uk
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Journal
PLoS ONE