Scientists at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) in Heidelberg have discovered a previously unknown LYSET gene that allows cancer cells to feed on host proteins in a nutrient-poor environment. Study published in the journal Science.
Cancer cells can survive even in malnourished environments. To do this, they alter their metabolism to use the host organism’s proteins as an alternative “food.”
The scientists created conditions to mimic amino acid starvation in tumor cells and then used CRISPR-Cas9 “genetic scissors” to sequentially turn off different genes. It turned out that without the previously unknown LYSET (Lysosome Enzyme Smuggling Factor) gene, tumor cells were unable to withstand the amino acid deficiency. This gene is essential for the normal functioning of lysosomes, the tiny organelles in cells that break down proteins into amino acids.
In experiments on mice, oncologists have confirmed that the loss of the LYSET gene greatly inhibits the growth of certain cancer cells, even if the tumor is not malnourished.