As you read this, your body is quietly burning glucose to keep you alive through a multistep process that requires oxygen. If you’re reading this while you exercise, however, some of your muscle cells may have run out of oxygen, so they’re taking a shortcut. Instead of the usual convoluted energy production process, they’re snapping glucose molecules in half.
This pathway, called glycolysis, is a lot less efficient, but it gets the job done. In fact, cancer cells tend to prefer this shortcut even when oxygen is present, which makes it a tempting target for treatments. Now a new drug described in a paper published today in Nature Chemical Biology is promising to do just that.
The drug, developed through research led by biochemists from the University of Texas, uses a two-step process similar to antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs). These compounds act like biological smart bombs, using antibodies to target only cancer cells before delivering their payload of chemotherapy. Unfortunately, though, ADCs do have some drawbacks.
Read more: “Triggering the Body’s Defenses to Fight Cancer”
“Antibodies are difficult to make, and because they’re so large they’re only able to target proteins in the surface of cancer cells,” study co-author Ken Hsu explained in a statement. “We think of this new compound as a fully chemical counterpart to ADCs. They’re much easier to manufacture. And because they’re smaller, they’re able to target even proteins that are inside cells.”
The new drug exploits the unique metabolism of cancer cells. The targeting enzyme ramps up glycolysis causing cells to exhaust their glucose supply. At the same time, the payload blocks the breakdown of fatty acids, preventing them from replenishing their stores. By starving the cells of energy, the researchers were able to stall the growth of tumors.
“I like to think of this technology like a two-headed dragon,” study co-author Xiaolu (Lulu) Lim Ang Cambronne said. “We’re putting one part of the cell into overdrive while simultaneously weakening another part. It appears to be extremely potent.”
Of course, the drug will require more research and testing before it’s ready, but the researchers say their approach can be used to create other two-part small-molecule therapies. “They have the potential to be useful beyond cancer, for other kinds of diseases as well,” Cambronne said.
Why fight cancer with one hand tied behind our backs when we can deliver a potent one-two punch instead? 
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Lead image: SolaruS / Adobe Stock
