Researchers have discovered how some aggressive cancers manage to survive

A team of researchers from the University of Sheffield has discovered the mechanism by which some aggressive forms of cancer manage to survive when their usual energy source is cut off. The discovery, published in the journal PLOS Biology and announced on Wednesday by the university, could pave the way for new methods of slowing tumour growth and increasing the effectiveness of existing treatments, according to the Xinhua news agency.

The research focused on aggressive forms of breast and pancreatic cancer — tumours surrounded by dense, scar-like tissue known as the extracellular matrix. According to specialists at Sheffield, this matrix can account for up to 90% of the total mass of certain breast and pancreatic tumours.

Although the dense tissue reduces blood supply and access to nutrients, cancer cells find a way to adapt: they use type I collagen, the main component of the matrix, to continue surviving.

How cancer cells "switch" their energy source

The researchers observed that when glucose levels — the cells' primary energy source — drop, collagen sends signals that allow cancer cells to change their mode of sustenance, switching to the absorption of essential amino acids needed for growth and survival.

This process depends on a protein called LAT1, which is responsible for transporting amino acids into cancer cells. In laboratory experiments using cell models, blocking LAT1 combined with disrupting the connection between cancer cells and collagen deprived these cells of the nutrients they needed to survive.

What the study's lead author says

Dr Elena Rainero, a senior lecturer at the University of Sheffield and lead author of the study, explained that cancer cells adapt rapidly, which is why a single type of treatment often fails to eliminate a tumour entirely.

"If we could block this collagen-mediated survival mechanism, we could slow the growth and spread of cancer cells, whilst simultaneously making them more sensitive to existing treatments such as chemotherapy," said Dr Rainero.

According to her, such a strategy could allow doctors to use lower doses of treatment, thereby reducing severe side effects whilst at the same time increasing the efficacy of therapy.

The researchers believe this discovery could represent a promising target for the development of future cancer therapies.