Altered propionate metabolism contributes to tumor progression and aggressiveness — Gomes, 2022

In the article "Altered propionate metabolism contributes to tumor progression and aggressiveness" published in Nature Metabolism, the authors investigate the role of altered propionate metabolism in cancer progression and metastasis. They find that cancer cells with increased expression of the enzyme propionyl-CoA carboxylase (PCC) are able to use propionate as a fuel source, leading to increased cell proliferation and tumor growth. The authors show that increased PCC expression is associated with poor patient prognosis in various cancer types, including breast, lung, and liver cancer. They also demonstrate that inhibiting PCC activity reduces cancer cell growth and metastasis in preclinical models. Additionally, the authors show that propionate metabolism affects the tumor microenvironment, promoting immune evasion and reducing antitumor immune responses. They also demonstrate that inhibiting PCC activity can increase immune cell infiltration and improve responses to immunotherapy. Overall, the authors suggest that altered propionate metabolism may be a promising target for cancer therapy, with potential benefits for both reducing tumor growth and enhancing antitumor immune responses.

Gomes, A. P., Ilter, D., Low, V., Drapela, S., Schild, T., Mullarky, E., Han, J., Elia, I., Broekaert, D., Rosenzweig, A., Nagiec, M., Nunes, J. B., Schaffer, B. E., Mutvei, A. P., Asara, J. M., Cantley, L. C., Fendt, S. M., & Blenis, J. (2022). Altered propionate metabolism contributes to tumour progression and aggressiveness. Nature metabolism, 4(4), 435–443. https://doi.org/10.1038/s42255-022-00553-5