Through a bioinformatics analysis of a large amount of data, researchers from IDIBELL ¡-ICO (ProCURE, Oncobell program) have helped unveil the metabolic characteristics of several types of cancer. In addition, their research identified many new vulnerabilities that may lead to more accurate cancer treatments. Their work, published in Cancer Research, was possible thanks to the collaboration established with the group of Professor Joaquín Dopazo at the “Andalusian Progress and Health Foundation” and the “National Institute of Bioinformatics (INB)”.

“The cellular metabolism is reorganized or reprogrammed in cancer; this feature contributes decisively to the progression of the disease and the formation of metastasis”, says Dr. Miquel Àngel Pujana, IDIBELL-ICO researcher. “However, the metabolic profile of many types of tumors is unknown”, he adds.

The research team worked with 9,428 samples corresponding to 25 different cancer types in order to elucidate the metabolic characteristics of each of them. “This information, combined with gene expression data, becomes a valuable compendium of metabolic profiles in cancer and allows us to establish relationships among them and with the prognosis of the disease”, adds Dr. Pujana.

In recent years, cancer metabolism has become an area of great interest regarding the development of new and precise therapeutic strategies. “In our study, we propose to inhibit different metabolic targets as a new therapeutic strategy to prevent the progression of the disease”, the Oncobell researcher concludes.