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Updated: Jul 4, 2026
06:21
Assessment of the Metabolic Profile of Primary Leukemia Cells
Published on: November 21, 2018
Choline-dependent methionine metabolism supports leukemia progression
Nirmalya Saha1, Lauren Lachowski2, Franchesca Franzen2
1Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA. nisaha@umich.edu.
Communications Biology
|July 2, 2026
Summary
Leukemia cells exploit choline to synthesize methionine when it
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Cancer Metabolism
- Leukemogenesis
Background:
- Tumor cells compete for limited nutrients, including essential amino acids like methionine.
- Leukemia cells exhibit altered metabolic pathways to survive.
- The role of choline in cancer metabolism, particularly in leukemia, is not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of choline transporter SLC44A1 in leukemia.
- To explore the metabolic interplay between choline and methionine in leukemogenesis.
- To identify potential therapeutic vulnerabilities in leukemia metabolism.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a leukemia suppression model and CRISPR screening.
- Performed comprehensive metabolic analysis of leukemic cells.
- Conducted in vivo studies with dietary methionine restriction.
Main Results:
- SLC44A1 is overexpressed in leukemia patients and influences leukemogenesis.
- Leukemic cells upregulate CHDH and BHMT enzymes under methionine-limiting conditions.
- Choline serves as an alternative methionine source for leukemia progression in vivo.
- Dietary methionine restriction paradoxically accelerated leukemogenesis.
Conclusions:
- Leukemia cells utilize a choline-dependent pathway to compensate for methionine deficiency.
- The CHDH-BHMT enzymatic pathway represents a critical metabolic vulnerability in leukemia.
- Targeting this pathway offers a potential therapeutic strategy for leukemia treatment.
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