Stay young: Scientists discover new enzyme complexes can prevent cell aging

Scientists in Montreal have discovered a new enzyme complex that can prevent cell aging, which opens the way for possible new cancer treatments

Researchers at Université de Montréal and McGill University have discovered a new multi-enzyme complex that can reprogram the metabolic program to overcome "cell senescence", that is, aging cells stop dividing

In their study published in the journal Molecular Cell on September 16, 2021, the researchers stated that an enzyme complex called HTC (Hydride Transfer Complex) can inhibit cell senescence

"HTC protects cells from hypoxia, which usually leads to cell death," said Gerardo Ferbeyre, senior author of the study, professor of biochemistry at the University of Michigan, and chief scientist at CRCHUM, the university's teaching hospital research center

Ferbeyre said: "The important thing is that HTC can be hijacked by certain cancer cells to improve their metabolism, resist hypoxic environment and proliferate

HTC is composed of three enzymes: pyruvate carboxylase, malate dehydrogenase 1 and malic enzyme 1

Ferbeyre said: "The most interesting thing is that inhibiting these enzymes can prevent the growth of prostate cancer cells, which suggests that HTC may be a key target for the development of new therapies for various cancers, including prostate cancer

Most of the key metabolic cycles were discovered more than 50 years ago, but HTC has not yet been discovered by researchers

Scientists can assemble enzyme complexes from purified proteins and obtain biophysical data about their composition