MADRID, 17 ANS (EUROPE PRESS)
Researchers at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden report in the journal Nature that they have developed new, first-class inhibitors that compromise the mitochondrial function of cancer cells. Treatment with inhibitors stopped the proliferation of cancer cells and reduced tumor growth in mice, without significantly affecting healthy cells.
“We are delighted to have shown that this new principle of cancer treatment works in animal models and hopefully inhibitors can now be developed for the treatment of human cancer,” says Nils-Göran Larsson, professor in the department. . of medical biochemistry and biophysics at the Karolinska Institute, which led the study.
Mitochondria are the powerhouses of cells, essential for converting energy from the food we eat into the common energy currency required for a variety of cellular functions. Cancer cells primarily depend on mitochondria, not only for energy, but also to produce a number of building blocks needed to make more cells when cancer cells divide. Continuous cell division means that a cancer cell must constantly produce new mitochondria in order to grow.
Previous attempts to target mitochondria for cancer treatment have focused on the acute inhibition of mitochondrial function. However, this strategy has often led to serious side effects due to the critical role of mitochondria in normal tissue function.
Alternatively, researchers from the Karolinska Institute and the University of Gothenburg, also in Sweden, in collaboration with the Max Planck Society and the Lead Discovery Center GmbH, in Germany, have developed a new strategy that does not directly interfere with the function of existing mitochondria. Instead, they designed highly selective inhibitors that target mitochondria’s own genetic material, mtDNA, which plays a vital role in the formation of new mitochondria.
“Previous findings from our research group have shown that rapidly dividing cells, such as cancer cells, critically depend on mtDNA to form new, functioning mitochondria,” says Nils-Göran Larsson.
“Therefore,” he continues, “treatment with our inhibitors specifically affects the proliferation of tumor cells, while healthy cells in tissues such as skeletal muscle, liver or heart are not affected for a surprisingly long time.”
By studying the mechanism of action of these new inhibitors, the researchers observed that the inhibitors put cancer cells in a severe state of energy and nutrient depletion. This leads to the loss of the necessary cellular building blocks, reduced tumor cell growth and ultimately cell death.
“The results are very promising, but it will take many years of development before human use can be considered,” concludes Nils-Göran Larsson.
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