Study Finds Way To Cut Off Cancer Cell’s Glucose Energy Supply

Researchers in a study published in the Nature Communications journal have found a promising way to combat cancer cells. Cancer cells unlike normal cells don’t know how to die after they grow old.

The mutated cells continue to replicate and damage health tissue in the body. The primary way cancer cells fuel their abnormal growth and replication is through increasing the amount of glucose they use.

Glucose is produced above normal levels in cancer cells, and researchers have identified that the PARP protein in cancer cells causes the extra glucose production needed to support cancer cells abnormal growth.

Scientists hope to develop a PARP inhibiting drug that would in essence result in starving cancer cells to death. the drug would be able to specifically target PARP in cancer cells leaving normal cells unharmed.

Though the use of a PARP inhibitor would weaken cancer cell’s defenses, chemotherapy would still likely be necessary. Together with the PARP inhibitor much less chemotherapy would be needed to eradicate cancer cells, which would cause less damage to normal cells.

Now that researchers have identified PARP’s role in protecting and keeping cancer cells alive, work is being done on the development of a PARP inhibitor and finding a way to safely administer it to people.