Research identifies key enzyme target to fight deadly brain cancers

Researchers have found that targeting an enzyme called PGM3 can help stop the growth of glioblastoma, the most dangerous type of brain tumor. Study findings are published online in the journal Science Advances.

This enzyme plays a vital role in the hexosamine synthesis pathway, which is involved in the processes of protein and lipid glycosylation that allow tumors to rapidly grow. Lipid glycosylation is a process where sugar molecules attach to fats (lipids) in the body.

Researchers with The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center—Arthur G. James and Richard J. Solove Research Institute believe that targeting PGM3 can reduce tumor growth and eliminate glioblastoma cells.

“This research is important because it has found a new target called PGM3. Blocking the PGM3 enzyme can break the connection between sugar and fat creation in cells, which helps stop tumors from growing. By targeting this enzyme, we can develop more effective treatments for glioblastoma, a brain tumor with very few effective treatment options,” said study lead author Deliang Guo, Ph.D., the founding director of the Center for Cancer Metabolism.

Glioblastoma is a fast-growing brain tumor that develops from glial cells in the brain. An estimated 15,000 people each year are diagnosed with this lethal brain tumor, according to the Glioblastoma Foundation.

The study highlights a promising new approach to fight glioblastoma, giving hope for future advancements in cancer treatment, said Guo, who is also the Urban and Shelly Meyer Professor of Cancer Research with the OSUCCC—James Translational Therapeutics Program and a professor of the Department of Radiation Oncology at The Ohio State University College of Medicine.

“Glioblastoma is the most lethal primary brain tumor, with a median survival of only 12–16 months from diagnosis despite extensive treatments,” said Huali Su, Ph.D., the first author of the paper, and a researcher with the Department of Radiation Oncology and Center for Cancer Metabolism at OSUCCC-James. “New molecular targets for glioblastoma are urgently needed.”

The research team included scientists from France, along with the University of California-Los Angeles, University of California-Irvine and University of Louisville.