[IRM] Glutaminase Isoenzymes: Gatekeepers of Bioenergetics, Immunity, and Tumor Microenvironment in Diabetes-Induced Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Ente: EC
Scadenza: 2029-08-31
Importo max: 209.915 EUR
Paese: EU
Descrizione
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common primary liver cancer, has survival rates below 20%. Type 2 diabetes (T2D) markedly increases HCC incidence by driving metabolic and inflammatory changes, but the underlying mechanisms are unclear. Emerging evidence points to altered glutamine metabolism via the glutaminase isoenzymes GLS and GLS2 as a key link, though its role in diabetes-driven HCC remains unexplored.
This project aims to elucidate how GLS and GLS2 regulate tumor bioenergetics, metabolic flexibility, and immune evasion in T2D-associated HCC, and to assess whether targeting these isoenzymes offers a viable therapeutic approach. The specific aims are:
1) Characterize the roles of GLS and GLS2 in tumorigenesis and metabolic reprogramming in diabetes-associated HCC using CD-HFD mouse models.
2) Dissect the distinct roles of GLS and GLS2 in regulating tumor bioenergetics and metabolic reprogramming in HCC to be used as targets in liver cancer.
3) Design a therapeutic strategy for diabetes-driven HCC including GLS and GLS2 through their impact in the tumor microenvironment, focusing on immune cell infiltration, activation status of both isoenzymes, and their immunosuppressive mechanisms.
To achieve these goals, the study will employ physiologically relevant mouse models of metabolic syndrome–driven HCC, complemented by advanced methodologies including Seahorse metabolic flux assays, live-cell imaging, metabolomics, and single-cell RNA sequencing to dissect tumor–stromal–immune interactions. Sex-specific differences will also be systematically investigated.
The project will generate new mechanistic insights into the metabolic crosstalk between diabetes and liver cancer, uncovering therapeutic vulnerabilities that target glutamine dependence while overcoming tumor heterogeneity and resistance. Expected outcomes include the rational design of combinatorial therapies tailored to metabolic disease–associated HCC.
Settori: Horizon Europe Topics
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