New York– A team of researchers has identified a crucial enzyme that could help stop the growth of glioblastoma, one of the deadliest forms of brain cancer. The findings offer a promising new avenue for treatment of this aggressive and currently incurable disease.
The enzyme, known as PGM3, plays a critical role in the hexosamine biosynthesis pathway, which is essential for the glycosylation of proteins and lipids—a process that fuels rapid tumor growth. Glycosylation involves the attachment of sugar molecules to fats (lipids) and proteins, helping cancer cells grow and multiply more efficiently.
According to researchers at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC – James), targeting PGM3 could disrupt this vital process and significantly reduce tumor progression.
“This discovery is significant because we’ve identified a new therapeutic target—PGM3,” said lead author Dr. Deliang Guo, founding director of the Center for Cancer Metabolism at OSUCCC – James. “Blocking this enzyme can sever the connection between sugar and fat synthesis in cells, which in turn helps stop tumors from growing.”
Glioblastoma develops from glial cells in the brain and is notorious for its rapid progression and resistance to conventional treatments. According to the Glioblastoma Foundation, approximately 15,000 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with the disease each year. Despite aggressive treatment strategies, the average survival rate remains just 12 to 16 months following diagnosis.
“Glioblastoma is the most lethal primary brain tumor, and new molecular targets are urgently needed,” said Dr. Huali Su, the study’s first author and a researcher with the Department of Radiation Oncology and Center for Cancer Metabolism at OSUCCC – James.
Published in the journal Science Advances, the study represents a collaborative effort between scientists at OSU, as well as institutions in France, the University of California-Los Angeles, University of California-Irvine, and the University of Louisville.
The researchers believe their work opens the door to new therapeutic strategies aimed at disrupting metabolic pathways essential to glioblastoma cell survival, offering renewed hope in the battle against this devastating disease. (Source: IANS)
