Methionine restriction may improve outcomes in children with aggressive brain cancer

Some brain cancers are easier to treat than others

A new study from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine suggests that there may be a better, non-invasive way to treat these tumors in the future

In a paper published today in the journal Nature Cancer, physicians and scientists from Pitt and UPMC Children's Hospital in Pittsburgh found that DMG tumors are unique in their reliance on methionine, an amino acid that humans must get from food

"The Achilles heel of these tumors is that they grow rapidly and consume a lot of nutrients," said Dr.

Brain cancer is the second most common type of cancer in children, after leukemia

DMG tumors often arise in the midbrain, a key junction between the cerebral cortex (the area responsible for complex information processing, logical reasoning and thinking) and the spinal cord

"None of the standard chemotherapy regimens that have been successfully tested in adults have been successful in children with this cancer," Agnihotri said

Fortunately, DMG cells may have a special vulnerability that could be used for therapy

Methionine is one of nine amino acids called "essential" by scientists, which our bodies use to make proteins

To figure out whether manipulating the cancer cells' diet could make DMG tumors grow more slowly, the researchers placed the cells in a petri dish and recorded their behavior each time a nutrient was consumed

The researchers also showed that removing a key enzyme involved in converting methionine to other components necessary for many cellular functions hindered cancer cell growth and increased survival in mice with aggressive DMG cancer

The group is currently busy developing a proposal for a clinical trial to test the drug targeting methionine metabolism in humans

"Everyone in the brain cancer field, scientists and neurosurgeons is often asked if there is a dietary change that can help patients recover