Our study reinforces the role of the microenvironment in the metabolic adaptation of cancer cells, showing that cells that retain metabolic features of their normal counterparts are positively selected by the organ’s microenvironment. In uterine cervix cancer, monocarboxylates transporter 1 (MCT1) was shown to be a key element in squamous cell carcinoma (the prevalent histological type) development. The expression of MCT1 enables cancer cells to consume lactic acid present in cervico-vaginal microenvironment. We believe MCT1 is a suitable therapeutic target in uterine cervix cancer.
A research group from Ipatimup discovered that, when a cancer cell harbours a deficiency in oxidative phosphorylation, this increases their ability to move and migrate, as well as their ability to form tumours and metastasis in mice. These effects seem to be mediated by a change in cell-matrix adhesion capacity.
Ana Sofia Carvalho1,2, Helena Ribeiro1, Paula Voabil1, Deborah Penque2, Ole N. Jensen3, Henrik Molina4 & Rune Matthiesen*1,2
1Proteolysis in Diseases, IPATIMUP, Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias s/n, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal.
Nowadays, nanotechnology has been considered as a potential tool for the development of new drug delivery systems, such as nanoparticles. Although, before these approaches can be considered as anti-tumoral treatments, they need to be thoroughly tested under high controlled conditions that reproduce the tumors microenvironment. In vivo, tumors are complex tissues comprised by cancer cells enclosed in a stroma, essentially formed by fibroblasts.
