Cancer stem cells have an “energy addiction” scientists may be able to exploit
Scientists at the University of Colorado Anschutz Cancer Center have identified a metabolic vulnerability in stem cells linked to high-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). These cancer cells rely heavily on NAD for energy, a weakness that could be targeted by future therapies.
Why it matters
Targeting specific metabolic pathways could lead to more effective treatments for aggressive blood cancers that are currently difficult to manage.
Researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Cancer Center have uncovered a previously unknown metabolic vulnerability in the stem cells responsible for high risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). The finding could eventually help scientists develop treatments that more precisely target the cells driving this aggressive blood cancer.
The study, published in Blood Cancer Discovery , found that high risk MDS stem cells depend unusually heavily on nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD), a molecule that plays an essential role in how cells produce energy. When researchers disrupted the pathway responsible for maintaining NAD, they were able to selectively weaken the disease driving stem cells. Healthy blood forming stem cells, by comparison, were better able to adjust.
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