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Feb 19, 2025, 09:00

Key link identified in mechanism promoting lung metastases from breast cancer

Cancerworld recently published an article titled “Key link identified in mechanism promoting lung metastases from breast cancer.” We’re featuring a summary of that piece below.

A new study published in Nature reveals that the amino acid aspartate plays a crucial role in promoting lung metastases in breast cancer. Conducted in mice and supported by postmortem human tissue analyses, the research shows how primary breast tumors prime the lung environment by elevating aspartate levels—triggering a cascade that enhances cancer cell colonization and growth.

Key findings include:

Pre-metastatic niche formation: Elevated aspartate levels in the lung prepare the environment for incoming cancer cells.
Alternative translation program: Aspartate induces the hypusination of eIF5A, shifting protein production toward collagen synthesis, thereby reinforcing the metastatic niche.
Receptor activation: Aspartate binds to the NMDA receptor subunit GRIN2D, leading to calcium influx and further promoting the metastatic cascade.

Sarah-Maria Fendt, the study’s corresponding author, explained:
“Even before breast cancer cells arrive in the lung, we found that the primary tumor was preparing the metabolites needed to support metastatic growth.”

The study also suggests potential therapeutic strategies to inhibit metastasis. Drugs like memantine (an NMDA receptor blocker) and DFMO (which targets polyamine synthesis required for eIF5A hypusination) could be repurposed to disrupt this pathway.

In summary, these findings provide new insights into the metabolic rewiring that supports lung metastases in breast cancer, highlighting possible avenues for future treatments.

Stephen Liu

For the full article visit cancerworld.net

Founded in 2004, Cancerworld is an independent magazine for oncologists and other cancer professionals, policymakers, and patient advocates. Written largely by professional journalists, it invites people from all walks of the cancer community to contribute their expertise and experience to exploring issues that impact outcomes that matter to patients.

From 2020 to 2024 the magazine was funded by Sharing Progress in Cancer Care (SPCC)

Cancerworld was set up by the European School of Oncology (ESO).

Since January 2025, Cancerworld joined the OncoDaily family and is owned and published by P53 Inc.