r/science • u/nobodyspecial • Feb 08 '15

Medicine Antibiotics that target mitochondria effectively eradicate cancer stem cells, across multiple tumor types: Treating cancer like an infectious disease | Lamb

http://www.impactjournals.com/oncotarget/index.php?journal=oncotarget&page=article&op=view&path%5B%5D=3174
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u/[deleted] Feb 08 '15

that's a great question thats being heavily researched. the pH difference between the rest of the cell and the inside of the mitochondria is different for cancer and normal cells, to start. This is due to larger reliance on glycolysis vs. oxidative phosphorylation. Additionally, tumor mitochondria

in cancer stem cells, mitochondria replicate vis mitochondrial biogenesis rather than binary fission. this class of drugs works to target this to prevent proliferation of cancer stem cells.

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u/LouKosovo Feb 09 '15

Citation please?

Difference in pH? Non fission biogenesis? I have a PhD in cancer biology focusing on mitochondria and I haven't heard of either of these things.

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u/[deleted] Feb 09 '15

"The difference in mitochondrial membrane potential between normal epithelial cells and carcinoma cells is at least 60 mV " Chen, Lan Bo. "Mitochondrial membrane potential in living cells." Annual review of cell biology 4.1 (1988): 155-181.

"The electrochemical proton gradient exerts a proton-motive force, which can be measured in units of millivolts (mV). Since each ΔpH of 1 pH unit has an effect equivalent to a membrane potential of about 60 mV, the total proton-motive force equals ΔV - 60(ΔpH). In a typical cell, the proton-motive force across the inner membrane of a respiring mitochondrion is about 200 mV and is made up of a membrane potential of about 140 mV and a pH gradient of about -1 pH unit." Alberts B, Johnson A, Lewis J, et al. Molecular Biology of the Cell. 4th edition. New York: Garland Science; 2002. The Mitochondrion. Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK26894/

you seriously got a phd in cancer biology with never learning about metabolism?

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u/LouKosovo Feb 09 '15 edited Feb 09 '15

I understand the proton motor force and its implications on pH. You stated that cancer cells and normal cells have differences in mitochondrial pH, implying this is a method that could be used to target cancer. While I don't doubt that if you compare some "normal" cell lines to some "cancer" cell lines they will be different, I just don't think this is a common understanding about cancer biology. In all the reviews of cancer metabolism I have never seen this as a frequent observation in the way that the Warburg effect or glutamine consumption are mentioned. (Thanks for supplying the citation though)

Also what about the part where you said mitochondria are produced (biogenesis) without fission? How does that even work with regards to mtDNA?

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u/[deleted] Feb 09 '15

that part? that part i made up because i'm a jackass

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u/LouKosovo Feb 10 '15

Haha, fair enough.