Ribosomes (giant machines that make proteins) are made in the nucleolus.It is known that when the nucleolus grows, a large amount of ribosomes are produced and protein synthesis increases, so that cancer cells proliferate at an abnormal rate. It has been a mystery how cancer cells expand their nucleoli for 120 years since they were discovered.

　This time, an international research team centered on Cincinnati University, Hiroshima University, and Keio University has brought together the latest technologies and revealed that GTP (guanosine triphosphate) energy, which increases significantly in cancer, causes nucleolar enlargement. I made it.It also revealed that blocking the production of GTP energy can suppress cancer.

　The study investigated the energy production pathways of malignant brain tumors and glioblastoma (glioblastoma).They found that GTP production was significantly increased in malignant brain tumors, and that the cause of this increased GTP production was an increase in the amount of inosinate dehydrogenase (IMPDH) in cancer cells. ..

　Further metabolic analysis provided data showing that GTP produced by IMPDH is used for ribosome synthesis in the nucleolus, revealing that IMPDH plays an important role in increasing ribosome synthesis.

　Therefore, when an experiment was conducted to inhibit IMPDH with a drug, it was discovered that the nucleolus became smaller and the growth of glioblastoma was suppressed.In an experiment in which IMPDH was suppressed in mice transplanted with glioblastoma, tumor progression was significantly suppressed, leading to prolongation of the life of the mice.

　It can be said that this result, which found that the increase in GTP by IMPDH is a factor that opens the "demon's eyes", is a breakthrough discovery that leads to the development of a new treatment method for cancer.

Paper information:[Nature Cell Biology] IMP dehydrogenase-2 drives aberrant nucleolar activity and promotes tumorigenesis in glioblastoma