Work

Sialic Acid Metabolism: A Key Player in Breast Cancer Metastasis Revealed by Metabolomics

Year: 2018

Type: article

Abstract: Metastatic breast cancer is currently incurable. It has recently emerged that different metabolic pathways support metastatic breast cancer. To further uncover metabolic pathways enabling breast cancer metastasis, we investigated metabolic differences in mouse tumors of differing metastatic propensities using mass spectrometry-based metabolomics. We found that sialic acid metabolism is upregulated in highly metastatic breast tumors. Knocking out a key gene in sialic acid metabolism, Cmas, inhibits synthesis of the activated form of sialic acid, cytidine monophosphate-sialic acid, and decreases the formation of lung metastases in vivo. Thus, the sialic acid pathway may be a new target against metastatic breast cancer.

Source: Frontiers in Oncology

DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2018.00174

Authors: Shao Thing Teoh, Martin P. Ogrodzinski, Christina Ross, Kent W. Hunter, Sophia Y. Lunt

Institutions: Michigan State University, National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute, Center for Cancer Research

Language: English

Topic: Glycosylation and Glycoproteins Research

Subfield: Molecular Biology

Field: Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Domain: Life Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,801