A research group at the University of Lausanne (Unil) has identified a new mechanism that exposes the vulnerability of tumor cells when they are deprived of vitamin B7. The ability of cells to adapt to fluctuations in nutrient availability is essential to life. Yet, some cells become highly dependent on glutamine, an amino acid that plays a central role in cellular metabolism. This nutrient provides the essential building blocks for protein and DNA synthesis, and cells stop proliferating without it. This is the case for cancer cells: “glutamine addiction” is a well-known vulnerability of tumors, but many cancers manage to bypass it.
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