Life sciences firm YSI is using its 2900 series biochemistry analyser to help researchers develop anti-cancer treatments such as glutamine inhibitor drugs.
Following on from German biochemist Otto Warburg’s observation in 1924, that cancers tend to take up more glucose and produce more lactic acid than normal tissue, research has been ongoing for many years now into the role that glutamine plays in the growth and survival of cancer cells, with numerous hypotheses being put to the test both in the laboratory and in clinical trials using targeted glutamine inhibitors, says YSI.
Glutamine dependency is not the case in every type of tumour, “each type of cancer appears to have its own metabolic signature” says researcher Deepak Nagrath of Rice University, US.
“For instance, kidney cancer does not rely on glutamine, and though breast cancer gets some of its energy from glutamine, it gets even more from glycosysis,” Nagrath says.
“For other cancers, including globlastoma and pancreatic cancer, glutamine appears to be the primary energy source.”
According to Nagreth, “highly aggressive ovarian cancer cells are glutamine-dependent, and in our laboratory studies, we showed that depriving such cells of external sources of glutamine - as some experimental drugs do - was an effective way to kill late-stage cells.”
Whatever its exact role in the survival of cancer cells, it is clear that glutamine will continue to be closely monitored in the cell culture lab, along with glucose, lactate and ammonium, YSI says.
This is where the YSI 2900 Analyser takes its place in the fight against cancer, by aiding in the development of anti-cancer treatments such as glutamine inhibitor drugs.
It accurately measures and rapidly gives results on these chemistries in one minute or less, using the trusted YSI sensor technology.
Taking up little bench top space and modular in design, it can be configured to measure up to six compatible chemistries, or currently two if the model 2900M Online Monitoring and Control System is being used.
