New Research Has Solved A 100-Year-Old Mystery About Cancer - IFLScience

Using biochemical and genetic experiments, the researchers showed that it all comes down to an important growth factor signaling molecule called PI3 kinase, an enzyme involved in a wide range of cellular activities such as cellular division, proliferation, growth, and survival.

PI3 kinase has been extensively studied as part of a key signaling pathway involved in proliferation and cancer metabolism.

As cancer cells start to shift and use the Warburg effect, the levels of PI3 kinase increases within the cells.

As the Warburg effect ultimately results in ATP production, a positive feedback loop is established between the two molecules where ATP drives the activity of PI3 kinase, and with more PI3 kinase available, it results in rapid cell division and growth

The findings challenge the accepted textbook view that cell signaling drives metabolism in cancer, as the researchers demonstrate in immune cells that use the Warburg effect, metabolic enzymes could be driving signaling molecules which in turn drives cellular division and growth, explaining a long-standing mystery as to why cancer cells might preferentially use the fermentation process to their advantage

Although more research needs to be done using cancer cells instead of immune cells to test this, the current findings open up an exciting therapeutic avenue in the future where one might be able to target cancer growth and proliferation by targeting LDHA, instead of the more commonly focused on PI3 kinase signaling enzyme.