Leuven researchers identify why cancers often spread to the lungs
A team from the VIB-KU Leuven Centre for Cancer Biology has identified aspartate availability as a key factor in why cancers often spread to the lungs. The findings, published in the scientific journal, Nature, shed light on why lung metastases occur in over half of cancer patients with metastases.
Led by Professor Sarah-Maria Fendt, the researchers studied the translation process in aggressive lung metastases. Translation is the process by which genes produce proteins, and changes in this process can enhance cancer cell growth. The team focused on eIF5A, a protein that initiates translation. In lung metastases, they discovered a modified form of eIF5A, known as hypusination, linked to increased cancer aggressiveness.
The study found that this modified eIF5A is driven by aspartate, not through cellular uptake but by activating a receptor on the cancer cell surface. This activation triggers a signalling cascade that promotes hypusination, enabling cancer cells to spread more effectively in the lungs.
Analysis of lung metastases in both mice and humans consistently showed heightened receptor activation compared to non-cancerous cells or metastases from other organs.
"This link emphasises the relevance of our discovery," said Fendt. "It suggests that aspartate-related signalling may be a common feature of cancer cells growing in the lungs. Furthermore, there are drugs available that can target the mechanism we identified, so translation to a clinical setting is a possibility."
#FlandersNewsService | © THOMAS COEX / AFP
Related news
