bims-glucam 2024-10-06 papers

bims-glucam

Biomed News

on Glutamine cancer metabolism

Issue of 2024‒10‒06
twenty-one papers selected by
Sreeparna Banerjee, Middle East Technical University

AMPK Activation in TET2 Downregulated Leukemia Cells Upon Glutamine Limitation.
Glutamine availability regulates cDC subsets in tissue.
Asparagine as a Signal for Glutamine Sufficiency via Asparagine Synthetase: A Fresh Evidence-Based Framework in Physiology and Oncology.
Endoplasmic reticulum stress-dependent regulation of carboxypeptidase E expression in glioblastoma cells.
NEIL3 upregulated by TFAP2A promotes M2 polarization of macrophages in liver cancer via the mediation of glutamine metabolism.
Identifying metabolic limitations in the tumor microenvironment.
LncRNA-SNHG16 Protects Against Oxidative Stress-Induced Vascular Endothelial Cell Injury in Cardiovascular Diseases by Regulating the miR-23a-3p-GLS-Glutamine Metabolism Axis.
Bridging the gap: advancing cancer cell culture to reveal key metabolic targets.
Metabolic Dependency Shapes Bivalent Antiviral Response in Host Cells in Response to Poly:IC: The Role of Glutamine.
Establishment and Characterization of Three Human Ocular Adnexal Sebaceous Carcinoma Cell Lines.
Glutamine Attenuates Inflammation and Stimulates Amniotic Cell Proliferation in Premature Rupture of Membranes-related in vitro Models.
Interactions of SARS-CoV-2 with Human Target Cells-A Metabolic View.
Reprogramming the Tumor Immune Microenvironment Through Activatable Photothermal Therapy and GSH depletion Using Liposomal Gold Nanocages to Potentiate Anti-Metastatic Immunotherapy.
NMR-Based Stable Isotope Tracing of Cancer Metabolism.
Discovery and Optimization of Ergosterol Peroxide Derivatives as Novel Glutaminase 1 Inhibitors for the Treatment of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer.
Photothermal nanocomposite reactivate "immune-hot" for triple-negative breast cancer treatment via glutamine metabolism reprograming.
Stable Isotope Tracing Experiments Using LC-MS.
The Anti-proliferative Effect of a Novel Glutaminase Inhibitor IN-3 on Prostate Cancer Cells.
Essentiality of SLC7A11-mediated nonessential amino acids in MASLD.
Proteomic and metabolomic analysis of plasma for pain at different labor stages.
LC-MS-based serum metabolomics analysis and potential biomarkers for oxaliplatin induced neurotoxicity in colorectal cancer.

Medeni Med J. 2024 Sep 30. 39(3): 161-168

AMPK Activation in TET2 Downregulated Leukemia Cells Upon Glutamine Limitation.

Ahsen Merve Bayrak, Burcu Yucel.

  Objective: Metabolic rewiring is a characteristic of cancer cells. Cancer cells require more nutrients for survival and proliferation. Although glutamine can be produced in cells via a series of enzymatic reactions, a group of cancer cells are dependent on extracellular glutamine for survival. TET2 plays a role in DNA demethylation and is a tumor suppressor gene. The TET2 gene is frequently mutated in various cancers, including acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Our study aimed to investigate the association between TET2-knockdown AML cell line HL-60 cells and glutamine metabolism.Methods: To evaluate the association between TET2 expression and glutamine limitation, TET2 was downregulated in HL-60 cells using shRNA plasmids. The proliferation of TET2-knockdown HL-60 cells was calculated in normal and glutamine-deficient medium. GLUL mRNA expression was investigated using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and protein levels were evaluated using immunoblotting.
Results: The numbers and viability of TET2-knockdown HL-60 cells were decreased in low glutamine-containing medium, but the viability of TET2-knockdown HL-60 cells was higher than that of control cells. GLUL mRNA expressions were increased in TET2-knockdown cells in low glutamine. In addition, P-AMPKα protein expression was increased in TET2-knockdown HL-60 cells in low glutamine-containing medium.
Conclusions: Our findings indicate that TET2-knockdown HL-60 cells may be more resistant to glutamine deprivation. In glutamine-deficient medium, the mRNA expression of glutamine synthetase is increased, which could be related to glutamine addiction in cells. In addition, low-glutamyl medium increased the P-AMPKα protein level in TET2-knockdown HL-60 cells.

Keywords:  AML; AMPK; Glutamine metabolism; TET2 expression; shRNA-mediated gene silencing

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.4274/MMJ.galenos.2024.59683
bioRxiv. 2024 Sep 21. pii: 2024.09.17.613574. [Epub ahead of print]

Glutamine availability regulates cDC subsets in tissue.

Graham P Lobel, Nanumi Han, William A Molina Arocho, Michal Silber, Jason Shoush, Michael C Noji, Tsun Ki Jerrick To, Li Zhai, Nicholas P Lesner, M Celeste Simon, Malay Haldar.

Proliferating tumor cells take up glutamine for anabolic processes engendering glutamine deficiency in the tumor microenvironment. How this might impact immune cells is not well understood. Using multiple mouse models of soft tissue sarcomas, glutamine antagonists, as well as genetic and pharmacological inhibition of glutamine utilization, we found that the number and frequency of conventional dendritic cells (cDC) is dependent on microenvironmental glutamine levels. cDCs comprise two distinct subsets - cDC1 and cDC2, with the former subset playing a critical role in antigen cross-presentation and tumor immunity. While both subsets show dependence on Glutamine, cDC1s are particularly sensitive. Notably, glutamine antagonism did not reduce the frequency of DC precursors but decreased proliferation and survival of cDC1s. Further studies suggest a role of the nutrient sensing mTOR signaling pathway in this process. Taken together, these findings uncover glutamine dependence of cDC1s that is coopted by tumors to escape immune responses.One Sentence Summary: Type 1 conventional dendritic cells require glutamine to maintain their number in non-lymphoid tissue.
Significance: Immune evasion is a key hallmark of cancer; however, the underlying pathways are diverse, tumor-specific and not fully elucidated. Many tumor cells avidly import glutamine to support their anabolic needs, creating a glutamine-deficient tumor microenvironment (TME). Herein, using mouse models of soft tissue sarcomas, we show that glutamine depletion in TME leads to reduced type 1 conventional dendritic cells - a cell type that is critical for adaptive immune responses. This work is a paradigm for how tumor cell metabolism can regulate anti-tumor immune responses and will be foundational to future efforts targeting glutamine metabolism for cancer immunotherapy.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.09.17.613574
Am J Physiol Cell Physiol. 2024 Sep 30.

Asparagine as a Signal for Glutamine Sufficiency via Asparagine Synthetase: A Fresh Evidence-Based Framework in Physiology and Oncology.

Babatunde Olawuni, Barrie P Bode.

  Among the twenty proteinogenic amino acids, glutamine and asparagine represent a unique cohort in containing a terminal amide in their side chain, and share a direct metabolic relationship, with glutamine generating asparagine through the ATP-dependent asparagine synthetase (ASNS) reaction. Circulating glutamine levels and metabolic flux through cells and tissues greatly exceed those for asparagine, and "glutamine addiction" in cancer has likewise received considerable attention. However, historic and recent evidence collectively suggest that in spite of its modest presence, asparagine plays an outsized regulatory role in cellular function. Here, we present a unifying evidence-based hypothesis that the amides constitute a regulatory signaling circuit, with glutamine as a driver and asparagine as a second messenger that allosterically regulates key biochemical and physiological functions, particularly cell growth and survival. Specifically, it is proposed that ASNS serves as a sensor of substrate sufficiency for S-phase entry and progression in proliferating cells. ASNS-generated asparagine serves as a subsequent second messenger that modulates the activity of key regulatory proteins and promotes survival in the face of cellular stress, and serves as a feed-forward driver of S-phase progression in cell growth. We propose that this signaling pathway be termed the Amide Signaling Circuit (ASC) in homage to the SLC1A5-encoded ASCT2 that transports both glutamine and asparagine in a bidirectional manner, and has been implicated in the pathogenesis of a broad spectrum of human cancers. Support for the ASC model is provided by the recent discovery that glutamine is sensed in primary cilia via ASNS during metabolic stress.

Keywords:  Asparagine; Cancer; Glutamine; Metabolism; Signaling

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpcell.00316.2024
Endocr Regul. 2024 Jan 01. 58(1): 206-214

Endoplasmic reticulum stress-dependent regulation of carboxypeptidase E expression in glioblastoma cells.

Oleksandr H Minchenko, Anastasiia I Abramchuk, Olena O Khita, Myroslava Y Sliusar, Yuliia M Viletska, Dmytro O Minchenko.

  Objective. Carboxypeptidase E (CPE) plays an important role in the biosynthesis of neurotransmitters and peptide hormones including insulin. It also promotes cell proliferation, survival, and invasion of tumor cells. The endoplasmic reticulum stress, hypoxia, and nutrient supply are significant factors of malignant tumor growth including glioblastoma. There are data indicating that the knockdown of the endoplasmic reticulum to nucleus signaling 1 (ERN1) suppressed glioblastoma cell proliferation and increased invasiveness of these cells. The present study aims to investigate the regulation of the CPE gene in U87MG glioblastoma cells by ERN1 knockdown, hypoxia, and glucose or glutamine deprivations with the intent to reveal the role of ERN1 signaling in the regulation of this gene expression and function in tumorigenesis. Methods. Human glioblastoma cells U87MG (transfected by an empty vector; control) and ERN1 knockdown cells with inhibited ERN1 endoribonuclease and protein kinase (dnERN1) or only ERN1 endoribonuclease (dnrERN1) were used. Hypoxia was introduced by dimethyloxalylglycine; for glucose and glutamine deprivations, the cells were cultured in DMEM medium without glucose or glutamine for 16 h, respectively. The expression level of the CPE gene was studied by quantitative RT-PCR and normalized to ACTB. Results. It was found that inhibition of endoribonuclease and protein kinase activities of ERN1 led to a strong up-regulation of CPE gene expression in glioblastoma cells. The expression of this gene also increased in glioblastoma cells after silencing ERN1. At the same time, the expression of this gene did not significantly change in cells with inhibited ERN1 endoribonuclease only. The expression of the CPE gene was resistant to hypoxia in control U87MG cells, but increased in cells with ERN1 knockdown. The expression of this gene was up-regulated under glutamine deprivation in control glioblastoma cells, but decreased upon ERN1 knockdown. However, glucose deprivation decreased the expression of CPE gene in both types of used cells, but ERN1 inhibition enhanced this effect. Conclusion. The results of the present study demonstrate that inhibition of ERN1 strongly up-regulated the expression of pro-oncogenic CPE gene through protein kinase activity of ERN1 and that increased CPE gene expression possibly participates in ERN1 knockdown-mediated invasiveness of glioblastoma cells.

Keywords:  ERN1 knockdown; ERN1 protein kinase; carboxypeptidase E; gene expression; glioblastoma cells; hypoxia; nutrient deprivation

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.2478/enr-2024-0024
Digestion. 2024 Sep 27. 1-22

NEIL3 upregulated by TFAP2A promotes M2 polarization of macrophages in liver cancer via the mediation of glutamine metabolism.

Fabiao Zhang, Binfeng Wang, Wenlong Zhang, Yongfu Xu, Caiming Zhang, Xiangyang Xue.

INTRODUCTION: Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), which are part of the tumor microenvironment (TME), are a major factor in cancer progression. However, a complete understanding of the regulatory mechanism of M2 polarization of macrophages (Mø) in liver cancer is yet to be established. This study aimed to investigate the potential mechanism by which NEIL3 influenced M2 Mø polarization in liver cancer.METHODS: Bioinformatics analysis analyzed NEIL3 expression and its enriched pathways in liver cancer tissue, as well as its correlation with pathway genes. The upstream transcription factor of NEIL3, TFAP2A, was predicted and its expression in liver cancer tissue was analyzed. The binding relationship between the two was analyzed by dual-luciferase reporter and ChIP experiments. qRT-PCR assessed NEIL3 and TFAP2A levels in liver cancer cells. Cell viability was detected by CCK-8, while CD206 and CD86 expression was detected by immunofluorescence. IL-10 and CCR2 expressions were assessed using qRT-PCR, and M2 Mø quantity was detected using flow cytometry. Reagent kits tested glutamine (Gln) consumption, α-ketoglutarate, and glutamate content, as well as NADPH/NADP+ and GSH/GSSG ratios. Expression of Gln transport proteins was detected using western blot. An animal model was established to investigate the influence of NEIL3 expression on liver cancer growth.
RESULTS: NEIL3 was highly expressed in liver cancer and promoted Mø M2 polarization through Gln metabolism. TFAP2A was identified as the upstream transcription factor of NEIL3 and was highly expressed in liver cancer. Rescue experiments presented that overexpression of NEIL3 reversed the suppressive effect of TFAP2A knockdown on Mø M2 polarization in liver cancer. In vivo experiments demonstrated that the knockdown of NEIL3 could significantly repress the growth of xenograft tumors.
CONCLUSION: This study suggested that the TFAP2A/NEIL3 axis promoted Mø M2 polarization through Gln metabolism, providing a theoretical basis for immune therapy targeting the liver cancer TME.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1159/000540804
Sci Adv. 2024 Oct 04. 10(40): eadq7305

Identifying metabolic limitations in the tumor microenvironment.

Guillaume Cognet, Alexander Muir.

Solid tumors are characterized by dysfunctional vasculature that limits perfusion and delivery of nutrients to the tumor microenvironment. Limited perfusion coupled with the high metabolic demand of growing tumors has led to the hypothesis that many tumors experience metabolic stress driven by limited availability of nutrients such as glucose, oxygen, and amino acids in the tumor. Such metabolic stress has important implications for the biology of cells in the microenvironment, affecting both disease progression and response to therapies. Recently, techniques have been developed to identify limiting nutrients and resulting metabolic stresses in solid tumors. These techniques have greatly expanded our understanding of the metabolic limitations in tumors. This review will discuss these experimental tools and the emerging picture of metabolic limitations in tumors arising from recent studies using these approaches.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adq7305
Appl Biochem Biotechnol. 2024 Oct 01.

LncRNA-SNHG16 Protects Against Oxidative Stress-Induced Vascular Endothelial Cell Injury in Cardiovascular Diseases by Regulating the miR-23a-3p-GLS-Glutamine Metabolism Axis.

Yang Wang, Chengxin Zhang, Zhuang Liu, Xiaotian Gao, Shenglin Ge.

  Cardiovascular diseases are disorders of the heart and vascular system that cause high mortality rates worldwide. Vascular endothelial cell (VEC) injury caused by oxidative stress (OS) is an important event in the development of various cardiovascular diseases, including ischemic heart disease. This study aimed to investigate the critical roles and molecular mechanisms of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) SNHG16 in regulating vascular endothelial cell injury under oxidative stress. We demonstrated that SNHG16 was significantly downregulated and miRNA-23a-3p was notably induced in human vascular endothelial cells under OS. Overexpressing SNHG16 or silencing miR-23a-3p effectively mitigated the OS-induced VEC injury. Additionally, glutamine metabolism of VECs was suppressed under OS. SNHG16 protected the OS-suppressed glutamine metabolism, while miR-23a-3p functioned oppositely in VECs. Furthermore, SNHG16 downregulated miR-23a-3p by sponging miR-23a-3p, which direct targeted the glutamine metabolism enzyme, GLS. Finally, restoring miR-23a-3p in SNHG16-overexpressing VECs successfully reversed the protective effect of SNHG16 on vascular endothelial cell injury under OS. In summary, our results revealed the roles and molecular mechanisms of the SNHG16-mediated protection against VEC injury under OS by modulating the miR-23a-3p-GLS pathway.

Keywords:  Cardiovascular Diseases; GLS; Glutamine Metabolism; LncRNA SNHG16; MiR-23a-3p; Vascular Endothelial Cell Injury

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1007/s12010-024-05077-0
Front Oncol. 2024 ;14 1480613

Bridging the gap: advancing cancer cell culture to reveal key metabolic targets.

Marjolein M G Kes, Celia R Berkers, Jarno Drost.

  Metabolic rewiring is a defining characteristic of cancer cells, driving their ability to proliferate. Leveraging these metabolic vulnerabilities for therapeutic purposes has a long and impactful history, with the advent of antimetabolites marking a significant breakthrough in cancer treatment. Despite this, only a few in vitro metabolic discoveries have been successfully translated into effective clinical therapies. This limited translatability is partially due to the use of simplistic in vitro models that do not accurately reflect the tumor microenvironment. This Review examines the effects of current cell culture practices on cancer cell metabolism and highlights recent advancements in establishing more physiologically relevant in vitro culture conditions and technologies, such as organoids. Applying these improvements may bridge the gap between in vitro and in vivo findings, facilitating the development of innovative metabolic therapies for cancer.

Keywords:  cancer metabolism; cell culture conditions; organoids; oxygen; pH; physiologic media; tumor microenvironment

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3389/fonc.2024.1480613
Viruses. 2024 Aug 30. pii: 1391. [Epub ahead of print]16(9):

Metabolic Dependency Shapes Bivalent Antiviral Response in Host Cells in Response to Poly:IC: The Role of Glutamine.

Grégorie Lebeau, Aurélie Paulo-Ramos, Mathilde Hoareau, Daed El Safadi, Olivier Meilhac, Pascale Krejbich-Trotot, Marjolaine Roche, Wildriss Viranaicken.

  The establishment of effective antiviral responses within host cells is intricately related to their metabolic status, shedding light on immunometabolism. In this study, we investigated the hypothesis that cellular reliance on glutamine metabolism contributes to the development of a potent antiviral response. We evaluated the antiviral response in the presence or absence of L-glutamine in the culture medium, revealing a bivalent response hinging on cellular metabolism. While certain interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) exhibited higher expression in an oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS)-dependent manner, others were surprisingly upregulated in a glycolytic-dependent manner. This metabolic dichotomy was influenced in part by variations in interferon-β (IFN-β) expression. We initially demonstrated that the presence of L-glutamine induced an enhancement of OXPHOS in A549 cells. Furthermore, in cells either stimulated by poly:IC or infected with dengue virus and Zika virus, a marked increase in ISGs expression was observed in a dose-dependent manner with L-glutamine supplementation. Interestingly, our findings unveiled a metabolic dependency in the expression of specific ISGs. In particular, genes such as ISG54, ISG12 and ISG15 exhibited heightened expression in cells cultured with L-glutamine, corresponding to higher OXPHOS rates and IFN-β signaling. Conversely, the expression of viperin and 2'-5'-oligoadenylate synthetase 1 was inversely related to L-glutamine concentration, suggesting a glycolysis-dependent regulation, confirmed by inhibition experiments. This study highlights the intricate interplay between cellular metabolism, especially glutaminergic and glycolytic, and the establishment of the canonical antiviral response characterized by the expression of antiviral effectors, potentially paving the way for novel strategies to modulate antiviral responses through metabolic interventions.

Keywords:  OXPHOS; antiviral response; glycolysis; immunometabolism; metabolic reprogramming; mitochondrial respiration

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3390/v16091391
Int J Mol Sci. 2024 Sep 23. pii: 10183. [Epub ahead of print]25(18):

Establishment and Characterization of Three Human Ocular Adnexal Sebaceous Carcinoma Cell Lines.

Su-Chan Lee, Cornelia Peterson, Kaixuan Wang, Lujain Alaali, James Eshleman, Nicholas R Mahoney, Emily Li, Charles G Eberhart, Ashley A Campbell.

  Ocular adnexal sebaceous carcinoma (SebCA) represents one of the most clinically problematic periocular tumors, often requiring aggressive surgical resection. The pathobiology of this tumor remains poorly understood, and few models exist that are suitable for preclinical testing. The aim of this study was to establish new cell lines to serve as models for pathobiological and drug testing. With patient consent, freshly resected tumor tissue was cultured using conditional reprogramming cell conditions. Standard techniques were used to characterize the cell lines in terms of overall growth, clonogenicity, apoptosis, and differentiation in vitro. Additional analyses including Western blotting, short tandem repeat (STR) profiling, and next-generation sequencing (NGS) were performed. Drug screening using mitomycin-C (MMC), 5-fluorouricil (5-FU), and 6-Diazo-5-oxo-L-norleucine (DON) were performed. JHH-SebCA01, JHH-SebCA02, and JHH-SebCA03 cell lines were established from two women and one man undergoing surgical resection of eyelid tumors. At passage 15, they each showed a doubling time of two to three days, and all could form colonies in anchorage-dependent conditions, but not in soft agar. The cells contained cytoplasmic vacuoles consistent with sebaceous differentiation, and adipophilin protein was present in all three lines. STR profiling confirmed that all lines were derived from their respective patients. NGS of the primary tumors and their matched cell lines identified numerous shared mutations, including alterations similar to those previously described in SebCA. Treatment with MMC or 5-FU resulted in dose-dependent growth inhibition and the induction of both apoptosis and differentiation. MYC protein was abundant in all three lines, and the glutamine metabolism inhibitor DON, previously shown to target high MYC tumors, slowed the growth of all our SebCA models. Ocular adnexal SebCA cell lines can be established using conditional reprogramming cell conditions, and our three new models are useful for testing therapies and interrogating the functional role of MYC and other possible molecular drivers. Current topical chemotherapies promote both apoptosis and differentiation in SebCA cells, and these tumors appear sensitive to inhibition or MYC-associated metabolic changes.

Keywords:  cell line; eyelid cancer; mitomycin C; next-generation sequencing; sebaceous carcinoma

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms251810183
Reprod Sci. 2024 Oct 04.

Glutamine Attenuates Inflammation and Stimulates Amniotic Cell Proliferation in Premature Rupture of Membranes-related in vitro Models.

Xiang Xiang, Linshen Zhang, Su Li, Yongwei Ren, Daozhen Chen, Lou Liu.

  Premature rupture of membranes (PROM), with a prevalence of 15.3% in China, frequently results in adverse pregnancy outcomes. In this study, we aimed to identify amino acid metabolites that were differentially expressed in PROM versus healthy controls (HC) using targeted metabolomics and further explored their mechanisms of action with in vitro models.Inclusion and exclusion criteria were established to recruit 50 PROM and 50 HC cases for targeted metabolomics analysis. Twenty-three amino acid metabolites were quantified in the secretions of the posterior vaginal fornix of pregnant women between 31 and 36 weeks of gestation. Glutamine (0.0216 vs. 0.037 μg/mg, P = 0.003, AUC = 72.1%) was identified as the most differentially expressed amino acid metabolite between PROM and HC groups, and had a negative correlation with the abundance of Gardnerella (r=-0.3868, P = 0.0055), Megasphaera (r=-0.3130, P = 0.0269), and Prevotella (r=-0.2944, P = 0.0380), respectively.In amniotic epithelial cell and macrophage co-culture model, Glutamine reduced inflammatory cytokines and chemokines expression and suppressed macrophage chemotaxis. In LPS stimulated RAW 264.7 inflammation model, Glutamine inhibited the expression of inflammatory proteins iNOS and COX-2, down-regulated mRNA transcription of TNF, IL-6, and IL-1β, and reduced the production of reactive oxygen species through inhibiting NF-κB signaling pathway, and therefore demonstrated its anti-inflammatory effect. Furthermore, Glutamine protected amniotic epithelial cell from autophagy and stimulated its proliferation, therefore may intensify fetal membrane and prevent PROM in vivo.Our results suggested that low Glutamine level in vaginal secretion can be used as an indicator for PROM, and local Glutamine supplementation is a potential intervention and prevention strategy for PROM.

Keywords:  Autophagy; Cell proliferation; Glutamine; Inflammation; NF-κB; Premature rupture of membrane; Targeted metabolomics

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1007/s43032-024-01691-9
Int J Mol Sci. 2024 Sep 16. pii: 9977. [Epub ahead of print]25(18):

Interactions of SARS-CoV-2 with Human Target Cells-A Metabolic View.

Wolfgang Eisenreich, Julian Leberfing, Thomas Rudel, Jürgen Heesemann, Werner Goebel.

  Viruses are obligate intracellular parasites, and they exploit the cellular pathways and resources of their respective host cells to survive and successfully multiply. The strategies of viruses concerning how to take advantage of the metabolic capabilities of host cells for their own replication can vary considerably. The most common metabolic alterations triggered by viruses affect the central carbon metabolism of infected host cells, in particular glycolysis, the pentose phosphate pathway, and the tricarboxylic acid cycle. The upregulation of these processes is aimed to increase the supply of nucleotides, amino acids, and lipids since these metabolic products are crucial for efficient viral proliferation. In detail, however, this manipulation may affect multiple sites and regulatory mechanisms of host-cell metabolism, depending not only on the specific viruses but also on the type of infected host cells. In this review, we report metabolic situations and reprogramming in different human host cells, tissues, and organs that are favorable for acute and persistent SARS-CoV-2 infection. This knowledge may be fundamental for the development of host-directed therapies.

Keywords:  COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; host-directed therapies; long COVID; metabolic reprogramming; persistence

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25189977
Small. 2024 Oct 02. e2407388

Reprogramming the Tumor Immune Microenvironment Through Activatable Photothermal Therapy and GSH depletion Using Liposomal Gold Nanocages to Potentiate Anti-Metastatic Immunotherapy.

Jiayi Li, Kaifan Zheng, Luping Lin, Mengdi Zhang, Ziqi Zhang, Junyu Chen, Shaoguang Li, Hong Yao, Ailin Liu, Xinhua Lin, Gang Liu, Bing Chen.

  Cancer immunotherapy offers significant clinical benefits for patients with advanced or metastatic tumors. However, immunotherapeutic efficacy is often hindered by the tumor microenvironment's high redox levels, leading to variable patient outcomes. Herein, a therapeutic liposomal gold nanocage (MGL) is innovatively developed based on photo-triggered hyperthermia and a releasable strategy by combining a glutathione (GSH) depletion to remodel the tumor immune microenvironment, fostering a more robust anti-tumor immune response. MGL comprises a thermosensitive liposome shell and a gold nanocage core loaded with maleimide. The flexible shell promotes efficient uptake by cancer cells, enabling targeted destruction through photothermal therapy while triggering immunogenic cell death and the maturation of antigen-presenting cells. The photoactivated release of maleimide depletes intracellular GSH, increasing tumor cell sensitivity to oxidative stress and thermal damage. Conversely, GSH reduction also diminishes immunosuppressive cell activity, enhances antigen presentation, and activates T cells. Moreover, photothermal immunotherapy decreases elevated levels of heat shock proteins in tumor cells, further increasing their sensitivity to hyperthermia. In summary, MGL elicited a robust systemic antitumor immune response through GSH depletion, facilitating an effective photothermal immunotherapeutic strategy that reprograms the tumor microenvironment and significantly inhibits primary and metastatic tumors. This approach demonstrates considerable translational potential and clinical applicability.

Keywords:  GSH depletion; anti‐metastatic; gold nanocages; immunotherapy; photothermal therapy

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.202407388
Methods Mol Biol. 2025 ;2855 457-504

NMR-Based Stable Isotope Tracing of Cancer Metabolism.

Penghui Lin, Andrew N Lane, Teresa W-M Fan.

  NMR is widely used for metabolite profiling (metabolomics, metabonomics) particularly of various readily obtainable biofluids such as plasma and urine. It is especially valuable for stable isotope tracer studies to track metabolic pathways under control or perturbed conditions in a wide range of cell models as well as animal models and human subjects. NMR has unique properties for utilizing stable isotopes to edit or simplify otherwise complex spectra acquired in vitro and in vivo, while quantifying the level of enrichment at specific atomic positions in various metabolites (i.e., isotopomer distribution analysis).In this protocol, we give an overview with specific protocols for NMR-based stable isotope-resolved metabolomics, or SIRM, with a workflow from administration of isotope-enriched precursors, via sample preparation through to NMR data collection and reduction. We focus on indirect detection of common NMR-active stable isotopes including 13C, 15N, 31P, and 2H, using a variety of 1H-based two-dimensional experiments. We also include the application and analyses of multiplex tracer experiments.

Keywords:  Isotopomer distribution analysis; NMRNuclear magnetic resonance (NMR); Spectral editing; Stable isotope-resolved metabolomics

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-4116-3_26
Molecules. 2024 Sep 14. pii: 4375. [Epub ahead of print]29(18):

Discovery and Optimization of Ergosterol Peroxide Derivatives as Novel Glutaminase 1 Inhibitors for the Treatment of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer.

Ran Luo, Haoyi Zhao, Siqi Deng, Jiale Wu, Haijun Wang, Xiaoshan Guo, Cuicui Han, Wenkang Ren, Yinglong Han, Jianwen Zhou, Yu Lin, Ming Bu.

  In this study, novel ergosterol peroxide (EP) derivatives were synthesized and evaluated to assess their antiproliferative activity against four human cancer cell lines (A549, HepG2, MCF-7, and MDA-MB-231). Compound 3g exhibited the most potent antiproliferative activity, with an IC50 value of 3.20 µM against MDA-MB-231. This value was 5.4-fold higher than that of the parental EP. Bioassay optimization further identified 3g as a novel glutaminase 1 (GLS1) inhibitor (IC50 = 3.77 µM). In MDA-MB-231 cells, 3g reduced the cellular glutamate levels by blocking the glutamine hydrolysis pathway, which triggered reactive oxygen species production and induced caspase-dependent apoptosis. Molecular docking indicated that 3g interacts with the reaction site of the variable binding pocket by forming multiple interactions with GLS1. In a mouse model of breast cancer, 3g showed remarkable therapeutic effects at a dose of 50 mg/kg, with no apparent toxicity. Based on these results, 3g could be further evaluated as a novel GLS1 inhibitor for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) therapy.

Keywords:  GLS1 inhibitors; TNBC; antitumor; ergosterol peroxide derivatives

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29184375
Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces. 2024 Sep 24. pii: S0927-7765(24)00527-7. [Epub ahead of print]245 114268

Photothermal nanocomposite reactivate "immune-hot" for triple-negative breast cancer treatment via glutamine metabolism reprograming.

Yingfeng Cheng, Yanxian Hou, Zhanzheng Ye, Chenyu Qiu, Shize Li, Lele Li, Yinhao Lin, Nuo Chen, Yinsha Yao, Zewei Jiang, Wanling Zhu, Fugen Wu, Youting Zhang, Longfa Kou, Ruijie Chen.

  Herein, a photothermal nanocomposite PAI@CB839 nanoparticles (NPs) was constructed to perform a heat-immune therapy for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Firstly, a photothermal agent animated IR780 was modified on a mPEG-NH2 using 4,4'-dicarboxylazobenzene as a linker. The synthesized PAI exhibited superior photothermal efficiency of the IR780 even after assembling in water. As a functional carrier, PAI was used to load and deliver the glutaminase inhibitor CB839 to tumor tissue. In the hypoxic environment of tumor cells, the azo bond would break, triggering the release of cargo. Upon irradiation, the outstanding photothermal properties of IR780 resulted in tumor cell damage. This process could promote immunogenic cell death and program tumor to "immune-hot" condition. Concurrently, CB839 strengthened the antitumor immune response by remodulating the immunosuppressive TME through disturbing Glu abnormal metabolism, which further inhibited TNBC growth and metastasis. In conclusion, PAI@CB839 NPs exhibited great antitumor efficiency, which pave a new way for TNBC therapeutic regimen development.

Keywords:  Glutamine metabolism; Immunogenicity; Nanoparticle; Photothermal therapy; Triple negative breast cancer

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.colsurfb.2024.114268
Methods Mol Biol. 2025 ;2855 103-116

Stable Isotope Tracing Experiments Using LC-MS.

Esther A Zaal, Jeroen W A Jansen, Celia R Berkers.

  Metabolomics has emerged as a pivotal field in understanding cellular function, particularly in the context of disease. In numerous diseases, including cancer, alterations in metabolism play an essential role in disease progression and drug response. Hence, unraveling the metabolic rewiring is of importance to find novel diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. Isotope tracing is a powerful technique for delving deeper into the metabolic wiring of cells. By tracking an isotopically labeled substrate through biochemical reactions in the cell, this technique provides a dynamic understanding of cellular metabolism. This chapter outlines a robust isotope tracing protocol utilizing high-resolution mass spectrometry coupled to liquid chromatography in cell culture-based models. We cover essential aspects of experimental design and analyses, providing a valuable resource for researchers aiming to employ isotopic tracing.

Keywords:  Fluxomics; High-performance liquid chromatography; Isotope tracing; Mass spectrometry; Metabolomics

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-4116-3_6
Medeni Med J. 2024 Sep 30. 39(3): 169-174

The Anti-proliferative Effect of a Novel Glutaminase Inhibitor IN-3 on Prostate Cancer Cells.

Ummuhan Demir, Ayse Busranur Celik.

  Objective: This study aimed to evaluate anti-cancer potential of a novel glutaminase (GLS) inhibitor IN-3 in prostate cancer cells.Methods: The cell viability upon IN-3 treatment was examined using crystal violet staining and IC50 values were calculated for cancer cell lines PC-3 and LNCaP and normal fibroblasts CCD1072sk. The expression levels of GLS isoforms were determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction after IN-3 treatment. The metastatic prostate cancer dataset was downloaded from C-Bioportal and the expressions of GLS isoforms were analyzed.
Results: The IC50 values of IN-3 for LNCaP, PC-3 and CCD1072sk were 2.13, 6.14 and 15.39 μM respectively. The dose dependent effect of IN-3 was evident even in low concentration with 1 μM in LNCaP and 2 μM in PC-3 and these anti-proliferative effects of IN-3 were highly significant with p-values lower than 0.0001. The treatment of PC-3 cells with 10 μM IN-3 elevated the expression of kidney type GLS isoform of GLS1 but not GLS2. Comparison of metastatic and localized prostate cancer tissues showed that GLS1 was highly expressed not only in primary but also in metastatic prostate cancer tissues. GLS1 expression was significantly higher than GLS2 expression with p-values lower than 0.001.
Conclusions: The GLS inhibitor IN-3 may be a potent anti-cancer agent in prostate cancer by demonstrating its differential effect between cancer and normal cells. Further studies are warranted to elucidate its drug potential in prostate cancer.

Keywords:  GLS1; IN-3; Prostate cancer

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.4274/MMJ.galenos.2024.87094
Sci Bull (Beijing). 2024 Sep 19. pii: S2095-9273(24)00669-8. [Epub ahead of print]

Essentiality of SLC7A11-mediated nonessential amino acids in MASLD.

Jie Shen, Enjun Xie, Shuying Shen, Zijun Song, Xiaopeng Li, Fudi Wang, Junxia Min.

  Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) remains a rapidly growing global health burden. Here, we report that the nonessential amino acid (NEAA) transporter SLC7A11 plays a key role in MASLD. In patients with MASLD, we found high expression levels of SLC7A11 that were correlated directly with clinical grade. Using both loss-of-function and gain-of-function genetic models, we found that Slc7a11 deficiency accelerated MASLD progression via classic cystine/cysteine deficiency-induced ferroptosis, while serine deficiency and a resulting impairment in de novo cysteine production were attributed to ferroptosis-induced MASLD progression in mice overexpressing hepatic Slc7a11. Consistent with these findings, we found that both serine supplementation and blocking ferroptosis significantly alleviated MASLD, and the serum serine/glutamate ratio was significantly lower in these preclinical disease models, suggesting that it might serve as a prognostic biomarker for MASLD in patients. These findings indicate that defects in NEAA metabolism are involved in the progression of MASLD and that serine deficiency-triggered ferroptosis may provide a therapeutic target for its treatment.

Keywords:  Ferroptosis; MASLD; NAFLD; SLC7A11; Serine synthesis

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scib.2024.09.019
Talanta. 2024 Sep 19. pii: S0039-9140(24)01284-0. [Epub ahead of print]282 126905

Proteomic and metabolomic analysis of plasma for pain at different labor stages.

Yating Wang, Yi Qin, Shanshan Zeng, Ziyue Zhang, Wanshan Liu, Jingjing Wan, Kun Qian, Shunxiang Li, Jie Xiao.

  Labor pain has an important impact on maternal labor experience, mood, and postpartum depression. It is of great emotional significance to pay attention to the pain stress response of pregnant women and take necessary intervention measures in the labor process to weaken the sense of delivery experience and reduce the risk of complications. To better understand the molecular alteration of pain and stress changes during the delivery, we analyzed the metabolomic and proteomic of the plasma collected during the labor process at different stages, revealing the significant changes in metabolites and proteins and the key regulatory pathways. The KEGG enrichment analysis showed the differentially expressed metabolites and differentially expressed proteins were mainly enriched in glutamate metabolism, glutathione metabolism, oxidative phosphorylation, glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, and citrate cycle (TCA cycle). In particular, the glutathione metabolism played a major role in the metabolic pathway of the whole labor process. The result demonstrated the potential significance of the glutathione metabolic pathway in pain regulation.

Keywords:  Delivery; KEGG analysis; Labor pain; Metabolomic; Proteomic

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.talanta.2024.126905
J Pharm Biomed Anal. 2024 Oct 01. pii: S0731-7085(24)00534-X. [Epub ahead of print]252 116492

LC-MS-based serum metabolomics analysis and potential biomarkers for oxaliplatin induced neurotoxicity in colorectal cancer.

Yujiao Hua, Juan Lv, Yan Zhang, Yongjuan Ding, Jinghua Chen.

  Oxapliplatin-induced peripheral neuropathy (OIPN) is a significant adverse effect encountered in patients with colorectal cancer undergoing oxaliplatin therapy. However, the pathogenesis of OIPN remains unclear. This study aimed to identify potential diagnostic biomarkers for OIPN and discover the metabolic pathways associated with the disease. Serum samples were collected from 218 subjects, including patients with OIPN and control (CONT). The metabolite profiles were analyzed using nontargeted liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) serum metabolomics method. Subsequently, differentially altered metabolites were identified and evaluated through multivariate statistical analyses. In this study, patients with OIPN and CONT were distinguished by ten significant metabolites. The levels of racemethionine, O-acetylcarnitine, stearolic acid, aminoadipic acid, iminoarginine, galactaric acid, and all-trans-retinoic acid were increased, whereas the levels of 3-methyl-L-tyrosine, 5-aminopentanoic acid, and erythritol compared were found to be diminished in patients with OIPN when compared to the CONT. Through receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, racemethionine, stearolic acid, 5-aminopentanoic acid, erythritol, aminoadipic acid, and all-trans-retinoic acid were pinpointed as promising biomarkers for OIPN. Significantly altered pathways included amino acids (arginine biosynthesis, beta-alanine metabolism, arginine and proline metabolism, alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism, lysine degradation, and phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan biosynthesis), lipid (linoleic acid metabolism and the biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids), and energy metabolism. This study, by identifying serum biomarkers and dissecting metabolic pathways, offers a groundbreaking perspective on the susceptibility mechanisms underlying OIPN. It stands as an invaluable resource for the adjunctive diagnosis of OIPN, with the potential to diminish the incidence of adverse reactions and to enhance the objectivity and reliability of clinical diagnoses of OIPN.

Keywords:  Colorectal cancer; Nontargeted metabolomics; OIPN; Oxaliplatin

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpba.2024.116492