bims-stacyt Biomed News
on Metabolism and the paracrine crosstalk between cancer and the organism
Issue of 2026–03–08
thirteen papers selected by
Cristina Muñoz Pinedo, L’Institut d’Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge



  1. FEBS J. 2026 Mar 04.
      Proteostasis is the finely tuned balance of protein synthesis, folding and degradation essential for cellular health. When this equilibrium is disrupted, misfolded proteins accumulate, triggering adaptive stress responses such as the unfolded protein response and the integrated stress response (ISR). Central to the ISR is the kinase GCN2, a sensor of amino acid deprivation and ribosomal stress. Upon activation, GCN2 phosphorylates eIF2α, dampening global translation while selectively enhancing the synthesis of the stress-responsive transcription factors ATF4 and CHOP. ATF4 orchestrates a broad transcriptional programme that supports amino acid metabolism, redox homeostasis, autophagy and proteasomal degradation, which are key processes for restoring proteostasis. Beyond its canonical role, GCN2 interfaces with other regulatory networks modulating mTORC1 to promote autophagic clearance of damaged proteins and organelles, facilitating stress granule formation, and integrating signals from oxidative and endoplasmic reticulum stress to rebalance the proteome. Dysregulated GCN2 activity has been implicated in diverse pathologies including neurodegeneration, cancer and pulmonary vascular disease, positioning it as a promising therapeutic target. In this review, we explore how GCN2 links nutrient sensing to translational control and metabolic adaptation, and how its central role in proteostasis may inform new strategies for treating diseases driven by protein misfolding and stress pathway imbalance.
    Keywords:  GCN2; amino acid sensing; integrated stress response; proteostasis; translational control
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1111/febs.70480
  2. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2026 Mar 10. 123(10): e2524659123
      MYC amplification contributes to poor survival and outcome in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Here we show that in PDAC cell lines with amplified MYC, MondoA is required for viability, facilitating proliferation while suppressing apoptosis in vitro and in vivo. Transcriptional and genomic profiling demonstrates that loss of MondoA leads to altered expression of direct MondoA targets as well as MYC target genes and is accompanied by shifts in genomic occupancy of MYC, MNT, and the MondoA paralog ChREBP. This altered genomic binding by MYC network members is associated with transcriptional perturbation of multiple metabolic and stress pathways, as well as global changes in N6-methyladenosine modification (m6A) of messenger RNA (mRNA). MondoA inhibition disrupts coordination between MYC network members and the Integrated Stress Response (ISR), resulting in decreased translation of ATF4 mRNA, discordant gene regulation of shared targets of MYC and ATF4 and, ultimately, apoptosis. Reestablishing ATF4 protein expression rescues the diminished viability due to loss of MondoA expression or activity, providing direct evidence of a link between deregulated MYC and the transcriptional machinery of the ISR. Last, we find that small-molecule inhibition of MondoA is lethal in a subset of PDAC cell lines, including patient-derived organoids, suggesting that the ability to target MYC via chemical inhibition of MondoA transcriptional activity may have broad efficacy.
    Keywords:  MYC network; MondoA inhibitor; MondoA/MLXIP; pancreatic cancer; stress response
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2524659123
  3. Cancer Cell. 2026 Mar 05. pii: S1535-6108(26)00105-4. [Epub ahead of print]
      Cancer-associated cachexia is a complex metabolic syndrome leading to sustained body weight loss and tissue wasting. In this issue of Cancer Cell, Shi et al. identify a novel GDF15-driven tumor-immune-brain crosstalk, resulting in altered systemic metabolism and tissue catabolism.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ccell.2026.02.007
  4. Sci Signal. 2026 Mar 03. 19(927): eadz6443
      The JAK-STAT3 signaling pathway is a key driver of colorectal cancer (CRC) progression. STAT3 is a transcription factor that is canonically activated by cytokines, such as IL-6, in a transient manner because of negative feedback mechanisms. However, STAT3 is aberrantly and persistently activated in CRC, promoting tumor cell proliferation and survival. Here, we demonstrated that glucose sustained STAT3 activation independently of cytokine availability. We manipulated glucose metabolism, which showed that both glucose and its downstream metabolite GlcNAc were essential to maintain STAT3 activation. Moreover, cells with high basal STAT3 activity produced proteins that were glycosylated in a glucose-dependent manner and that activated STAT3 in neighboring cells through paracrine signaling. Proteomic analysis identified multiple candidate proteins involved in this process; however, no single protein was sufficient to fully activate STAT3, suggesting that this activation process requires several glycosylated proteins. In a syngeneic mouse model of CRC, inhibition of glycolysis reduced STAT3 activation in tumors, and genetic deletion of STAT3 substantially decreased tumor growth. Together, these findings show how glucose metabolism supports sustained STAT3 activation in CRC, highlighting a potential metabolic vulnerability for therapeutic targeting.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1126/scisignal.adz6443
  5. Cell Metab. 2026 Mar 03. pii: S1550-4131(26)00048-3. [Epub ahead of print]
      Cancer cachexia is a wasting syndrome characterized by reduced food intake and lean and fat tissue loss. In mice, cancer cachexia involved marked reductions in host fat and lean mass (particularly skeletal muscle), which were balanced by tumor growth. Using 15N tracing, the tumor gets protein (nitrogen) from both food intake and host tissue breakdown. Total energy expenditure remained unchanged due to metabolic compensation among the tumor, brown adipose tissue (BAT), and other organs, a phenomenon also observed in people with cancer. The decrease in leptin caused by fat loss did not stimulate food intake or reduce energy expenditure. We show that S100 calcium-binding protein A8 and A9 (S100A8/A9) and complement 3 (C3) in the hypothalamus play a key role in the reduction of food intake and fat mass during cancer cachexia. The peripheral administration of S100A8/A9 inhibitors and the hypothalamic knockdown of C3 significantly increased food intake and partially rescued fat and lean tissue loss.
    Keywords:  C3; S100A8/A9; cancer cachexia; energy balance; fat loss; food intake; mice; muscle loss
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2026.02.005
  6. Front Vet Sci. 2026 ;13 1734339
      Excess lactate is produced in tumor cells by aerobic glycolysis and regulates gene expressions by histone lactylation. However, how histone lactylation functions under glucose-limited conditions remains unknown. Here, we show that lysine lactylation redistributes to transcription start sites (TSSs) during glucose deprivation, thereby altering biological behaviors in canine hemangiosarcoma (HSA) cells. Glucose deprivation significantly decreased global histone lactylation levels, while lactylation peaks were enriched at TSSs of ATF4-regulated stress-response, asparagine-synthesis and immune-related genes. Stress-response gene expressions were upregulated, and ATF4 polyclonal knockout abrogated this activation. [U-13C]glutamine tracing demonstrated that HSA cells synthesized asparagine from glutamine when glucose was scarce, and asparagine supplementation modestly activated cell proliferation. In HSA patient tissues, H3K18la levels were heterogeneous, and M2-like macrophages preferentially infiltrated tumor regions showing low histone lactylation levels. These findings demonstrate that lysine lactylation regulates transcription that supports tumor cell survival and fosters a pro-tumor microenvironment even under glucose-limited conditions.
    Keywords:  dog; glucose; hemangiosarcoma; histone lactylation; stress response; tumor metabolism
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2026.1734339
  7. Nat Commun. 2026 Mar 06.
      Cancer cachexia (CC) is characterized by organ wasting and ensuing involuntary weight loss. Despite advances, underlying mechanisms initiating CC remain unclear, including early symptoms like anorexia. Here, we use a fly gut-tumor model with a precise time-window before organ wasting starts. We show that tumor-induced factors involved in inflammation (unpaired 3/ Interleukin-6-like) and reduced insulin signaling (ImpL2/ Insulin Growth Factor Binding Protein) decrease NPF (Neuropeptide F/ Neuropeptide Y) in the brain prior to organ wasting. This early NPF decrease triggers low protein-specific food appetite and anorexia. We find that ImpL2 reduces NPF signaling while upd3 helps by concurrently affecting the blood brain barrier. Tumor-induced NPF decrease, and early reduction of protein appetite drive the onset of weight loss and exacerbate the risk of death during organ wasting. Altogether, we provide evidence for an early orexigenic brain imbalance causing low protein appetite that regulates the onset and outcome of organ wasting.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-70074-2
  8. J Cell Sci. 2026 Mar 04. pii: jcs.264322. [Epub ahead of print]
      For double-strand breaks (DSBs) formed by radiation, onset of 5' to 3' end resection is a deciding factor in repair pathway choice, favoring homologous recombination (HR) over non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ). Studying HR-proficient MCF7 breast cancer cells, we confirmed a role for PARP1 in promoting DSB repair and limiting resection stress and identify the hexosamine biosynthetic pathway (HBP)-dependent post-translational modification O-GlcNAcylation as an independent regulator. Using pharmacological and genetic perturbations of O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT) and O-GlcNAcase (OGA), we showed that O-GlcNAcylation can limit end resection as measured by BrdU and RPA staining, recruitment of HR proteins BRCA1 and RAD51, and accumulation of cytosolic DNA in S/G2-phase cells. These effects were independent of PARP1 but required the histone methyltransferase EZH2. Loss of OGT or EZH2 phenocopied PARP inhibition, leading to hyperresection after irradiation. The OGA inhibitor PUGNAc suppressed hyperresection due to PARP1 knockout while PARP inhibitor veliparib exacerbated defects in OGT- or EZH2-deficient cells. In each case, increased resection correlated with cytosolic DNA accumulation, suggesting a link to inflammatory signaling. These findings implicate the Warburg effect, via the HBP and O-GlcNAcylation, in favoring NHEJ over HR and suggest that disrupting EZH2 may sensitize HR-proficient tumor cells to radiation via resection-dependent mechanisms. Our results highlight the potential of targeting cancer-associated metabolic reprogramming to overwhelm HR repair and drive resection stress. Combining PARP inhibition with blockade of O-GlcNAcylation or EZH2 may offer a strategy to radiosensitize proliferating, HR-proficient cancers while sparing non-cycling normal tissues.
    Keywords:  DNA end resection; EZH2; Hexosamine biosynthetic pathway; O-GlcNAcylation; PARP; Radiosensitization
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1242/jcs.264322
  9. Nat Cell Biol. 2026 Mar 06.
      How cancer cells couple metabolic stress sensing to orchestrate specific survival programmes is a key question. Here we show a long non-coding RNA (lncRNA)-guided epitranscriptomic mechanism orchestrating metabolic adaptation by controlling the stability of master stress regulator ATF4. Glucose or glutamine deprivation induces endoplasmic reticulum stress via reactive oxygen species-NRF2-dependent transcription of the lncRNA DAMER. Following its demethylation and nuclear retention by the m6A-eraser ALKBH5, DAMER acts as a scaffold, guiding ALKBH5 to demethylate and stabilize ATF4 mRNA through specific base-pairing. This provides an alternative post-transcriptional pathway for ATF4 upregulation, rewiring asparagine metabolism to promote cancer cell survival under stress. Furthermore, we identified the US FDA-approved drug elbasvir as a potent inhibitor of the DAMER-ALKBH5 interaction. Elbasvir dismantles this adaptive programme, targeting tumour asparagine dependency and exhibiting potent antitumour effects in preclinical models. Our findings reveal a paradigm for lncRNA-guided RNA demethylation that solves a target specificity enigma and offers a strategy targeting metabolic adaptation in cancer.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41556-026-01905-z
  10. Eur J Pharmacol. 2026 Mar 04. pii: S0014-2999(26)00206-2. [Epub ahead of print] 178724
      Under hypoxic conditions, exercise capacity declines, accompanied by the significant activation of the arachidonic acid (AA) metabolism. The AA metabolism pathway has been confirmed to participated in the regulation of hypoxic inflammation. However, the relationship between hypoxia and AA metabolism remains largely unclear and whether targeting AA metabolism represents an effective strategy to improve exercise capacity is not clear. Celecoxib, a cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) selective inhibitor, has been showed to effectively inhabit AA metabolism with minimal side-effects. In this study, celecoxib was used to inhibit AA metabolism in both murine and cellular models, and COX-2-specific siRNA was employed in cells. COX-2 expression was assessed by quantitative PCR (qPCR) and Western blots (WB), and the effect of celecoxib on exercise capacity was evaluated. Additionally, RNA-Seq and Seahorse XF assays were performed to further investigate the underlying mechanism. We found that celecoxib-mediated inhibition of COX-2 improved could improve explosive exercise capacity of hypoxic mice. Moreover, celecoxib could reactivate the GSTA pathway in hypoxic cells, attenuated reactive oxygen species (ROS) damage, and decrease oxygen and energy consumption. Our study reveals that celecoxib, via selective targeting of COX-2, represents a novel therapeutic approach to enhancing explosive exercise capacity under hypoxic conditions.
    Keywords:  Arachidonic Acid metabolism; Celecoxib; GSTA; Hypoxia
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejphar.2026.178724
  11. Bull Cancer. 2026 Mar 02. pii: S0007-4551(26)00105-0. [Epub ahead of print]
      This study provides an in depth review of understanding the metabolic regulation of immune cells in cancer. Evidence has accumulated in the rapidly developing field of immune metabolism, in which immune cell function and fate are closely linked to their cellular metabolic programs, particularly within the tumor microenvironment. The TME is a metabolically disadvantaged niche characterized by hypoxia, nutrient deprivation, acidosis, and accumulation of immunosuppressive metabolites, all of which result from intense competition for essential resources such as glucose and amino acids. These metabolic constraints profoundly affect the activation, differentiation, and response capacity of the immune cells. This article systematically explores the metabolic reprogramming of immune cells in cancer, with a particular focus on T lymphocytes and myeloid cell populations. We have mapped the metabolic dynamics of T-cells from activation to dysfunction and depletion, elucidating myeloid lineage cells. Finally, we discuss emerging therapeutic strategies that target immune metabolism, including enhancing metabolic adaptation of effector cells, de-inhibiting metabolic checkpoints, reprogramming immunosuppressive cell populations, and combining metabolic interventions with existing immune checkpoint blockade therapies. A deeper understanding of metabolic competition and cooperation within the TME will provide conceptual and transformational evidence for developing more effective and durable cancer immunotherapy. Despite the promise of immunometabolic interventions, translating these strategies into safe and effective clinical therapies remains challenging.
    Keywords:  Cancer immunotherapy; Immune metabolism; Metabolic checkpoints; T-cell exhaustion; Tumor microenvironment; Tumor-associated macrophages
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bulcan.2026.01.008
  12. Cancer Sci. 2026 Mar 02.
      Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is an aggressive malignancy with a 5-year survival rate of less than 7%. SCLC is characterized by accelerated de novo purine nucleotide biosynthesis, which fuels its rapid proliferation. While ATP serves as an essential metabolic substrate for nucleotide polymer synthesis and as the universal energy currency that fuels essential biological processes, it can also act as a potent extracellular signaling molecule. Here, we identify an autocrine mechanism in which SCLC actively exports ATP to the extracellular space through pannexin 1 (PANX1) channels, thereby promoting its own proliferation via purinergic signaling. Marked elevation of extracellular ATP was observed in SCLC cells. Clinical meta-analysis revealed that high PANX1 expression is significantly associated with poor survival in SCLC patients. Pharmacological inhibition or genetic knockdown of PANX1 suppressed extracellular ATP levels and markedly reduced SCLC cell proliferation, whereas PANX1 overexpression increased extracellular ATP and accelerated growth. This ATP efflux is driven by calcium-dependent activation of PANX1, with the calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII)-TRPA1 axis identified as a key upstream regulator. Moreover, blockade of the P2RX7 receptor abrogated ATP-induced proliferation, indicating that SCLC establishes a metabolic autocrine loop through ATP release and P2RX7 activation. In mouse xenograft models, PANX1 knockdown suppressed, whereas PANX1 overexpression enhanced, tumor growth in vivo. These findings indicate that SCLC exploits a PANX1-dependent ATP release mechanism to engage P2RX7-mediated autocrine signaling and suggest that targeting this axis may represent a potential therapeutic opportunity for this lethal cancer.
    Keywords:  adenosine triphosphate (ATP); ligand‐gated ion channel 7 (P2RX7); metabolic autocrine; pannexin 1 (PANX1); purinergic receptor P2X; small cell lung cancer (SCLC)
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1111/cas.70350
  13. J Bone Oncol. 2026 Apr;57 100754
      The bone marrow microenvironment is highly saturated with bone marrow adipocytes (BMA), which differentiate from their precursor, mesenchymal stem cells (MSC). Evidence from patient trials suggests that bone marrow adiposity is increased in patients following some forms of chemotherapy. Moreover, it has been suggested that BMA can confer chemotherapeutic resistance to tumour cells, thereby ascribing a tumour-supportive role to BMA. We investigated the effect of chemotherapy on adipogenesis of human MSC in vitro, as well as potential underlying mechanisms leading to altered adipogenesis, and the effects in turn on tumour cell proliferation. Doxorubicin or carboplatin treatment of adipogenic differentiating MSC led to an increased percentage of mature BMA confirmed by increased gene expression of the adipocyte marker, PPARG. RNA-seq analysis identified significant increases in fibroblast growth factor (FGF) pathway genes in doxorubicin treated adipogenic differentiated MSC, which were validated at the mRNA and protein level. Notably, endogenous and secreted FGF2 was significantly increased with doxorubicin treatment. Furthermore, siRNA-mediated targeting of FGF2 impeded the doxorubicin-enhanced formation of lipid-containing mature BMA returning it to levels similar to vehicle control treated BMA. As FGF2 is a secreted protein we tested and confirmed that transfer of conditioned media from doxorubicin-treated BMA enhanced proliferation of tumour cells in vitro, a phenotype that was partially abrogated when FGF2 was depleted from adipogenic differentiating MSC. Our findings suggest that chemotherapy actively promotes adipogenesis, in part by alteration of FGF2 in the context of doxorubicin treatment, which directly enhances adipogenesis and in turn leads to enhanced tumour cell growth as a result.
    Keywords:  Adipogenesis; Bone marrow adipocyte; Cancer; Chemotherapy; Fibroblast growth factor; Mesenchymal stem cell; Tumour growth
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbo.2026.100754