Age-induced accumulation of methylmalonic acid promotes tumour progression.

The risk of cancer and associated mortality increases substantially in humans from the age of 65 years onwards1-6. Nonetheless, our understanding of the complex relationship between age and cancer is still in its infancy2,3,7,8. For decades, this link has largely been attributed to increased exposure time to mutagens in older individuals. However, this view does not account for the established role of diet, exercise and small molecules that target the pace of metabolic ageing9-12. Here we show that metabolic alterations that occur with age can produce a systemic environment that favours the progression and aggressiveness of tumours. Specifically, we show that methylmalonic acid (MMA), a by-product of propionate metabolism, is upregulated in the serum of older people and functions as a mediator of tumour progression. We traced this to the ability of MMA to induce SOX4 expression and consequently to elicit transcriptional reprogramming that can endow cancer cells with aggressive properties. Thus, the accumulation of MMA represents a link between ageing and cancer progression, suggesting that MMA is a promising therapeutic target for advanced carcinomas.

Integration of mTOR and estrogen-ERK2 signaling in lymphangioleiomyomatosis pathogenesis.

Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) is a destructive lung disease of women associated with the metastasis of tuberin-null cells with hyperactive mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) activity. Clinical trials with the mTORC1 inhibitor rapamycin have revealed partial efficacy but are not curative. Pregnancy appears to exacerbate LAM, suggesting that estrogen (E2) may play a role in the unique features of LAM. Using a LAM patient-derived cell line (bearing biallelic Tuberin inactivation), we demonstrate that E2 stimulates a robust and biphasic activation of ERK2 and transcription of the late response-gene Fra1 associated with epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. In a carefully orchestrated collaboration, activated mTORC1/S6K1 signaling enhances the efficiency of Fra1 translation of Fra1 mRNA transcribed by the E2-ERK2 pathway, through the phosphorylation of the S6K1-dependent eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4B. Our results indicate that targeting the E2-ERK pathway in combination with the mTORC1 pathway may be an effective combination therapy for LAM.

Down-regulation of CMTM8 induces epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition-like changes via c-MET/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling.

The acquisition of an invasive phenotype is a critical turning point for malignant tumor cells. CMTM8, a potential tumor suppressor, is frequently down-regulated in solid tumors, and its overexpression induces tumor cell apoptosis. Here, we identify a new role for CMTM8 in regulating tumor cell migration. Reducing CMTM8 expression in HepG2 hepatocellular carcinoma cells results in the acquisition of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) features, including a morphological change from organized epithelial sheets to scattered fibroblast-like shapes, reduction of the epithelial marker E-cadherin, and an increased invasive and migratory ability. These phenotypic changes are mediated in large part by the ERK-MAPK pathway, as the MEK inhibitor U0126 and shRNA-mediated knockdown of ERK2 significantly reversed these phenotypes. Hepatocyte growth factor binding to the c-MET receptor is known to induce EMT in HepG2 cells. We found that CMTM8 knockdown in HepG2 cells induced c-MET signaling and ERK activation. Inhibition of c-MET signaling with the small molecule inhibitor SU11274 or c-MET RNAi blocked the EMT-like changes following CMTM8 knockdown. CMTM8 overexpression in HepG2 cells inhibited hepatocyte growth factor-induced EMT-like morphological changes and cell motility. Down-regulation of CMTM8 also promoted an EMT-like change in MCF-10A cells, indicating a broader role for CMTM8 in regulating cellular transformation.

NADK-mediated de novo NADP(H) synthesis is a metabolic adaptation essential for breast cancer metastasis.

Metabolic reprogramming and metabolic plasticity allow cancer cells to fine-tune their metabolism and adapt to the ever-changing environments of the metastatic cascade, for which lipid metabolism and oxidative stress are of particular importance. NADPH is a central co-factor for both lipid and redox homeostasis, suggesting that cancer cells may require larger pools of NADPH to efficiently metastasize. NADPH is recycled through reduction of NADP+ by several enzymatic systems in cells; however, de novo NADP+ is synthesized only through one known enzymatic reaction, catalyzed by NAD+ kinase (NADK). Here, we show that NADK is upregulated in metastatic breast cancer cells enabling de novo production of NADP(H) and the expansion of the NADP(H) pools thereby increasing the ability of these cells to adapt to the challenges of the metastatic cascade and efficiently metastasize. Mechanistically, we found that metastatic signals lead to a histone H3.3 variant-mediated epigenetic regulation of the NADK promoter, resulting in increased NADK levels in cells with metastatic ability. Together, our work presents a previously uncharacterized role for NADK and de novo NADP(H) production as a contributor to breast cancer progression and suggests that NADK constitutes an important and much needed therapeutic target for metastatic breast cancers.

Interactions between ploidy and resource availability shape clonal interference at initiation and recurrence of glioblastoma.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most aggressive form of primary brain tumor. Complete surgical resection of GBM is almost impossible due to the infiltrative nature of the cancer. While no evidence for recent selection events have been found after diagnosis, the selective forces that govern gliomagenesis are strong, shaping the tumor's cell composition during the initial progression to malignancy with late consequences for invasiveness and therapy response. We present a mathematical model that simulates the growth and invasion of a glioma, given its ploidy level and the nature of its brain tissue micro-environment (TME), and use it to make inferences about GBM initiation and response to standard-of-care treatment. We approximate the spatial distribution of resource access in the TME through integration of in-silico modelling, multi-omics data and image analysis of primary and recurrent GBM. In the pre-malignant setting, our in-silico results suggest that low ploidy cancer cells are more resistant to starvation-induced cell death. In the malignant setting, between first and second surgery, simulated tumors with different ploidy compositions progressed at different rates. Whether higher ploidy predicted fast recurrence, however, depended on the TME. Historical data supports this dependence on TME resources, as shown by a significant correlation between the median glucose uptake rates in human tissues and the median ploidy of cancer types that arise in the respective tissues (Spearman r = -0.70; P = 0.026). Taken together our findings suggest that availability of metabolic substrates in the TME drives different cell fate decisions for cancer cells with different ploidy and shapes GBM disease initiation and relapse characteristics.

Metabolic reprogramming: a bridge between aging and tumorigenesis.

Aging is the most robust risk factor for cancer development, with more than 60% of cancers occurring in those aged 60 and above. However, how aging and tumorigenesis are intertwined is poorly understood and a matter of significant debate. Metabolic changes are hallmarks of both aging and tumorigenesis. The deleterious consequences of aging include dysfunctional cellular processes, the build-up of metabolic byproducts and waste molecules in circulation and within tissues, and stiffer connective tissues that impede blood flow and oxygenation. Collectively, these age-driven changes lead to metabolic reprogramming in different cell types of a given tissue that significantly affects their cellular functions. Here, we put forward the idea that metabolic changes that happen during aging help create a favorable environment for tumorigenesis. We review parallels in metabolic changes that happen during aging and how these changes function both as adaptive mechanisms that enable the development of malignant phenotypes in a cell-autonomous manner and as mechanisms that suppress immune surveillance, collectively creating the perfect environment for cancers to thrive. Hence, antiaging therapeutic strategies that target the metabolic reprogramming that occurs as we age might provide new opportunities to prevent cancer initiation and/or improve responses to standard-of-care anticancer therapies.

Altered propionate metabolism contributes to tumour progression and aggressiveness.

The alteration of metabolic pathways is a critical strategy for cancer cells to attain the traits necessary for metastasis in disease progression. Here, we find that dysregulation of propionate metabolism produces a pro-aggressive signature in breast and lung cancer cells, increasing their metastatic potential. This occurs through the downregulation of methylmalonyl coenzyme A epimerase (MCEE), mediated by an extracellular signal-regulated kinase 2-driven transcription factor Sp1/early growth response protein 1 transcriptional switch driven by metastatic signalling at its promoter level. The loss of MCEE results in reduced propionate-driven anaplerotic flux and intracellular and intratumoral accumulation of methylmalonic acid, a by-product of propionate metabolism that promotes cancer cell invasiveness. Altogether, we present a previously uncharacterized dysregulation of propionate metabolism as an important contributor to cancer and a valuable potential target in the therapeutic treatment of metastatic carcinomas.

Age-induced metabolic reprogramming underlies cancer progression.

Aging is a main risk factor for cancer. Using human serum we demonstrated that tumor progression and metastases occur, at least in part, as a manifestation of global metabolic deregulation of the aged host. This shows that the role of aging in cancer goes far beyond increased exposure time to mutagens; the aging process coordinates various aspects required for malignancy.

Histone H3 variants at the root of metastasis.

Chromatin remodeling is at the root of any cell fate decision, laying the foundation for the necessary reprogramming to occur. Our work shows histone H3 variants as a new addition to the ever-growing body of epigenetic regulators, one that is essential for cell fate transitions in carcinoma cells to promote tumor progression and metastasis.

Dynamic Incorporation of Histone H3 Variants into Chromatin Is Essential for Acquisition of Aggressive Traits and Metastatic Colonization.

Metastasis is the leading cause of cancer mortality. Chromatin remodeling provides the foundation for the cellular reprogramming necessary to drive metastasis. However, little is known about the nature of this remodeling and its regulation. Here, we show that metastasis-inducing pathways regulate histone chaperones to reduce canonical histone incorporation into chromatin, triggering deposition of H3.3 variant at the promoters of poor-prognosis genes and metastasis-inducing transcription factors. This specific incorporation of H3.3 into chromatin is both necessary and sufficient for the induction of aggressive traits that allow for metastasis formation. Together, our data clearly show incorporation of histone variant H3.3 into chromatin as a major regulator of cell fate during tumorigenesis, and histone chaperones as valuable therapeutic targets for invasive carcinomas.

The mTORC1/S6K1 pathway regulates glutamine metabolism through the eIF4B-dependent control of c-Myc translation.

Growth-promoting signaling molecules, including the mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1), drive the metabolic reprogramming of cancer cells required to support their biosynthetic needs for rapid growth and proliferation. Glutamine is catabolyzed to α-ketoglutarate (αKG), a tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle intermediate, through two deamination reactions, the first requiring glutaminase (GLS) to generate glutamate and the second occurring via glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) or transaminases. Activation of the mTORC1 pathway has been shown previously to promote the anaplerotic entry of glutamine to the TCA cycle via GDH. Moreover, mTORC1 activation also stimulates the uptake of glutamine, but the mechanism is unknown. It is generally thought that rates of glutamine utilization are limited by mitochondrial uptake via GLS, suggesting that, in addition to GDH, mTORC1 could regulate GLS. Here we demonstrate that mTORC1 positively regulates GLS and glutamine flux through this enzyme. We show that mTORC1 controls GLS levels through the S6K1-dependent regulation of c-Myc (Myc). Molecularly, S6K1 enhances Myc translation efficiency by modulating the phosphorylation of eukaryotic initiation factor eIF4B, which is critical to unwind its structured 5' untranslated region (5'UTR). Finally, our data show that the pharmacological inhibition of GLS is a promising target in pancreatic cancers expressing low levels of PTEN.