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Tacking metastasis as a metabolic disease

24 Jan 20

Speaker: Sarah-Maria Fendt, PhD - Group Leader - Flemish Institute for Biotechnology (VIB) - Gant - Belgium 

 

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Presentation

Organizers: IRB Barcelona
Date: Friday, 24th January 2020, 12.00h
Place: Felix Serratosa Hall, Parc Cientific de Barcelona

Host: Salvador Aznar-Benitah, PhD., Group Leader, IRB Barcelona, Aging & Metabolism Programme.

Abstract:

Metabolic rewiring is a hallmark of cancer cells. However, how nutrients drive the ability of cancer cells to rewire their metabolism is poorly defined. We are investigating the in vivo nutrient metabolism during metastasis formation to mechanistically understand how nutrients from the microenvironment enable cancers to progress from a local to a systemic disease. Using 13C tracer infusions in mouse models we find that nutrient availability shapes the metabolism and phenotype of cells and subsequently promotes the progression of cancer. Consequently, interfering with nutrient metabolism emerges as a promising therapeutic strategy against cancer. Taken together, our research highlights that nutrient metabolism is an important driver of cancer progression.

BioMed Seminar