The importance of mitochondrial RNA modifications had previously been studied in certain metabolic diseases, but now they have seen for the first time that there is a direct relationship between mitochondrial tRNA modifications and cancer metastasis
Researchers of the Biomedical Research Institute (IRB) of Barcelona have participated in a study that points to a possible new therapeutic strategy for block cancer metastasis by using antibiotics.
The work, led by the German Cancer Research Center and published today in the journal ‘Nature’, has observed that by inhibiting the production of proteins in the mitochondria by commonly used antibioticssuch as doxycycline or chloramphenicol, is significantly reduces invasion and the spread of tumor cells.
IRB scientists Salvador Aznar Benitah and Gloria Pascual have participated in the study led by Michaela Frye of the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ), in which have revealed that the NSUN3 protein is key to plasticity metabolic required by metastatic cells.
NSUN3 is a mitochondrial protein that regulates the production of new proteinsnecessary to start the electron transport chain and ensure efficient energy consumption in the cell.
As Aznar Benitah explained, blockage of mitochondrial protein productioneither by directly inhibiting NSUN3 or by antibiotics such as doxycycline or chloramphenicol, reduce very significantly the formation of the metastasis.
“Metastasis is a energy-intensive process and, therefore, the cells that initiate it need to be very efficient in the metabolism of fats“, has specified the researcher.
“Although it is necessary to carry out complementary studiesthis discovery is very encouraging, because it opens a new avenue for the possible treatment of metastases”, he underlined.
Proven, antibiotics block
According to the researchers, the importance of mitochondrial RNA modifications had previously been studied in certain metabolic diseases, but now have seen for the first time that there is a direct relationship between mitochondrial tRNA modifications and cancer metastasis.
Scientists have verified that antibiotics that block mitochondrial protein synthesis they slow down metastasis due to the similarity of the membranes of the bacteria with those of the mitochondria.
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Experiments have shown that treatment with antibiotics reduced the invasive spread of cancer cells and also the number of lymph node metastases in mice.
“NSUN3 inhibition is a promising way to slow down metastasis because the enzyme is solely responsible for the m5C RNA tag that promotes metastasis. However, it is before need to further explore potential side effects long-term effect of blockade of mitochondrial protein synthesis,” the researchers concluded.