Cell: extracellular matrix affects cancer metastasis by regulating glucose metabolism

September 12, 2018 / BIOON / - UCLA researchers have found that extracellular matrix can control the movement of cells in vivo by regulating the sugar consumption of cells Extracellular matrix refers to a dense network of proteins and carbohydrates around cells This study found that the rapid changes of single component of extracellular matrix can promote the rapid changes of cell metabolism and migration Image source: cell Considering the importance of glucose metabolism in the growth and migration of cancer cells, scientists have conducted in-depth research on how glucose metabolism responds to internal and external stimuli However, few studies have focused on the relationship between metabolism and changes of special components in extracellular matrix, which occur in normal development and disease progression Life By analyzing the genes that affect glucose metabolism in patients' breast cancer tissues and breast cancer cell lines, the researchers found that one of the genes closely related to glucose metabolism is the receptor of hyaluronate, the core component of extracellular matrix Because this receptor binds cells to hyaluronate in the extracellular matrix, this study suggests that changes in the composition or structure of the extracellular matrix may affect metabolism The researchers tested their hypothesis by regulating hyaluronic acid levels around cells and measuring subsequent glucose metabolism The study suggests that scientists may be able to create new treatments for cancer by targeting cancer cells to cut off their ability to metabolize sugars In addition to targeting cancer cells directly, researchers can also target extracellular matrix to change tumor metabolism The study will also broaden people's understanding of a range of diseases, especially in revealing how cancer cells spread It suggests that the ability of cancer cells to consume different levels of nutrients in a single tumor tissue may be related to their different migration ability Cells with a high rate of glucose metabolism may be able to promote their migration to other parts of the body, that is, metastasis The study was recently published in Cell Reference: William J Sullivan et al Extracellular Matrix Remodeling Regulates Glucose Metabolism through TXNIP Destabilization, Cell (2018) DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2018.08.017