Speaker
Description
This study proposes a new strategy for developing anti-glycolytic polymeric materials that can regulate energy production in cancer cells through the inhibition of aerobic glycolysis. Cancer cells suffer from energy deficiency when compared with that of normal cells; this is mainly caused by hypoxia stress and critical damage to mitochondrial respiration in cells, referred to as the Warburg effect. An antiglycolytic amphiphilic polymer, aimed at the regulation of glucose metabolism, is synthesized through chemical conjugation between glycol chitosan (GC) and phenylboronic acid (PBA). GC-PBA derivatives form stable micellar structures under physiological conditions and respond to changes in glucose concentration. The micelle structure was stable during blood circulation and accumulated in the tumor tissue through the EPR effect. Specific binding between the polymer micelles and intracellular glucose induced glucose deprivation in tumor cells, which significantly suppressed the glycolic metabolism. The resultant energy deprivation substantially inhibited the tumor growth, without significant side effects. Consequently, we confirmed that withholding glucose momentarily from cancer cells, already energy deficient, could sufficiently damage the cells, resulting in effective cancer treatment.
References
R. J. DeBerardinis, N. S. Chandel, Nat. Metab. 2020, 2, 127.
| Keywords | glucose-responsive polymer, cancer therapy, nutrient deprivation, induced energy deficiency, apoptosis |
|---|
