Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 28, 2026

In Vivo Inhibition of MicroRNA to Decrease Tumor Growth in Mice
07:02

In Vivo Inhibition of MicroRNA to Decrease Tumor Growth in Mice

Published on: August 23, 2019

7.8K

Metabolic therapies inhibit tumor growth in vivo and in silico

Jorgelindo da Veiga Moreira1, Minoo Hamraz2, Mohammad Abolhassani3

  • 1Research Laboratory in Applied Metabolic Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, École Polytechnique de Montréal, P.O. Box 6079, Centre-ville Station, Montréal, Québec, Canada.

Scientific Reports
|March 1, 2019
PubMed

Insights

This study explores a novel metabolic therapy to reverse the Warburg effect in cancer cells. Combining METABLOC drugs with Metformin and Diclofenac, it shows promise in reprogramming tumor metabolism and reducing side effects.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Metabolic Engineering
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Cancer cells exhibit altered metabolism, notably the Warburg effect, relying on glucose fermentation.
  • Conventional antimitotic therapies cause significant side effects, driving interest in alternative treatments.
  • Metabolic therapies offer a promising avenue to target cancer cells with potentially fewer adverse effects.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate a novel metabolic therapy for reprogramming cancer cell metabolism.
  • To evaluate the efficacy of a drug combination (METABLOC, Metformin, Diclofenac) in reversing the Warburg effect.
  • To model tumor progression and drug effects on cancer cell metabolism.

Main Methods:

  • Development and application of a dynamic metabolic model of central carbon metabolism.
  • In vivo testing of a combined therapeutic approach (METABLOC, Metformin, Diclofenac) in mice with implanted tumors.
  • Simulation of tumor progression in treated and non-treated subjects.

Main Results:

  • The study presents a novel metabolic therapy targeting key enzymes in central carbon metabolism.
  • Simulations predicted a reversed Warburg effect in tumor cells following metabolic therapy.
  • The drug combination demonstrated potential in reprogramming cancer cell metabolism.

Conclusions:

  • Metabolic reprogramming represents a viable strategy for cancer treatment.
  • The investigated drug combination shows potential for a reversed Warburg effect.
  • Dynamic metabolic modeling aids in understanding drug mechanisms and predicting therapeutic outcomes.

More Related Videos

A Combined 3D Tissue Engineered In Vitro/In Silico Lung Tumor Model for Predicting Drug Effectiveness in Specific Mutational Backgrounds13:34

A Combined 3D Tissue Engineered In Vitro/In Silico Lung Tumor Model for Predicting Drug Effectiveness in Specific Mutational Backgrounds

Published on: April 6, 2016

10.6K
Establishing Intracranial Brain Tumor Xenografts With Subsequent Analysis of Tumor Growth and Response to Therapy using Bioluminescence Imaging11:09

Establishing Intracranial Brain Tumor Xenografts With Subsequent Analysis of Tumor Growth and Response to Therapy using Bioluminescence Imaging

Published on: July 13, 2010

40.4K

Related Concept Videos

Feedback Inhibition00:46

Feedback Inhibition

Biochemical reactions are occurring constantly in cells, converting starting substances to different products, usually with the help of enzymes that speed the reactions. Without enzymes, it would take far too long for most reactions to occur to be useful to the cell!
57.1K
What is Metabolism?00:52

What is Metabolism?

Overview
131.7K
Gene Therapy00:59

Gene Therapy

Gene therapy is a technique where a gene is inserted into a person’s cells to prevent or treat a serious disease. The added gene may be a healthy version of the gene that is mutated in the patient, or it could be a different gene that inactivates or compensates for the patient’s disease-causing gene. For example, in patients with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) due to a mutation in the gene for the enzyme adenosine deaminase, a functioning version of the gene can be...
27.6K
Enzyme Inhibition01:30

Enzyme Inhibition

Inhibitors are molecules that reduce enzyme activity by binding to the enzyme. In a normally functioning cell, enzymes are regulated by a variety of inhibitors. Drugs and other toxins can also inhibit enzymes. Some inhibitors bind to the enzyme’s active site, while others inhibit enzymatic activity by binding to other sites on the protein structure.
92.1K
Population Growth00:57

Population Growth

Population size is dynamic, increasing with birth rates and immigration, and decreasing with death rates and emigration. In ideal conditions with unlimited resources, populations can increase exponentially, which plots as a J-shaped growth rate curve of population size against time. This type of curve is characteristic of newly-introduced invasive species, or populations that have suffered catastrophic declines and are rebounding.
28.4K
Primary and Secondary Growth in Roots and Shoots03:02

Primary and Secondary Growth in Roots and Shoots

Vascular plants, which account for over 90% of the Earth’s vegetation, all undergo primary growth—which lengthens roots and shoots. Many land plants, notably woody plants, also undergo secondary growth—which thickens roots and shoots.
60.4K