E. Shyam P. Reddy: This Tiny Cellular Gate Could Be the Key to Curing Cancer – And Regrowing Hair
E. Shyam P. Reddy, Professor and Director of Cancer Biology Program at Morehouse School of Medicine, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“This Tiny Cellular Gate Could Be the Key to Curing Cancer – And Regrowing Hair:
Researchers at the Medical Research Council (MRC) Mitochondrial Biology Unit at the University of Cambridge have revealed the structure of this machine, which works like a canal lock to move a molecule called pyruvate into the mitochondria — the parts of our cells often called the “powerhouses.” Pyruvate is produced when our bodies break down sugars, and it plays a key role in energy production.
Visualizing the Invisible:
This machine, known as the mitochondrial pyruvate carrier, was first proposed in 1971. But only now have scientists been able to visualize it at the atomic level, using a powerful imaging technique called cryo-electron microscopy, which magnifies structures up to 165,000 times their size. The findings appear today (April 18) in Science Advances.
Dr. Sotiria Tavoulari, Senior Research Associate at the University of Cambridge, who helped identify the components of the carrier, explained: “Sugars in our diet provide energy for our bodies to function. When they are broken down inside our cells they produce pyruvate, but to get the most out of this molecule, it needs to be transferred inside the cell’s powerhouses, the mitochondria. There, it helps increase 15-fold the energy produced in the form of the cellular fuel ATP.”
Revealing the Transport Mechanism:
Maximilian Sichrovsky, a PhD student at Hughes Hall and joint first author of the study, said: “Getting pyruvate into our mitochondria sounds straightforward, but until now we haven’t been able to understand the mechanism of how this process occurs. Using state-of-the-art cryo-electron microscopy, we’ve been able to show not only what this transporter looks like, but exactly how it works. It’s an extremely important process, and understanding it could lead to new treatments for a range of different conditions.”
Molecular Locks and Canal Gates:
Mitochondria are surrounded by two membranes. The outer one is porous, and pyruvate can easily pass through, but the inner membrane is impermeable to pyruvate. To transport pyruvate into the mitochondrion, first an outer ‘gate’ of the carrier opens, allowing pyruvate to enter the carrier. This gate then closes, and the inner gate opens, allowing the molecule to pass through into the mitochondrion.
“It works like the locks on a canal but on the molecular scale,” said Professor Edmund Kunji from the MRC Mitochondrial Biology Unit, and a Fellow at Trinity Hall, Cambridge. “There, a gate opens at one end, allowing the boat to enter. It then closes, and the gate at the opposite end opens to allow the boat smooth transit through.”
A New Drug Target Emerges:
Because of its central role in controlling the way mitochondria operate to produce energy, this carrier is now recognised as a promising drug target for a range of conditions, including diabetes, fatty liver disease, Parkinson’s disease, specific cancers, and even hair loss….”
-
Challenging the Status Quo in Colorectal Cancer 2024
December 6-8, 2024
-
ESMO 2024 Congress
September 13-17, 2024
-
ASCO Annual Meeting
May 30 - June 4, 2024
-
Yvonne Award 2024
May 31, 2024
-
OncoThon 2024, Online
Feb. 15, 2024
-
Global Summit on War & Cancer 2023, Online
Dec. 14-16, 2023