Researchers are hoping to improve treatment for acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) by exploiting cancer cells’ dependence on mitochondria – where the energy that cells need is produced.
Dr Natasha Kirienko from Rice University in Texas, USA, is an expert in mitochondrial metabolism and believes there is potential for “fundamental” improvements in AML care and the development of safe and effective treatments.
Dr Kirienko said: “Cancer cells grow so rapidly that they place a tremendous burden on their mitochondria – the cell’s energy producers – but they also disrupt the mechanisms that keep these mitochondria healthy.
“We’ve discovered that targeting this mitochondrial dysfunction can selectively kill AML cells while leaving healthy blood cells unharmed.”
With state funding recently awarded by the Cancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas, scientists from Rice University are working to improve mitochondria-targeting drugs, with colleagues at University Hospital Bern, Switzerland, and the University of Houston.
Fellow researcher Dr Natalia Baran, of the University Hospital Bern, said: “We want to get away from a one-size-fits-all model. By testing how different mutations affect drug responses, we’re working toward therapies that are more tailored to individual patients, especially those whose cancer doesn’t respond to standard treatments.”
Source: Rice University
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