Breast cancer cells rely on pyruvate to expand in new tissues

(VIB (the Flanders Institute for Biotechnology)) Most patients who die of breast cancer die of metastasis, the process by which cancer cells spread to other organs of the body. Cancer cells alter their metabolism to grow and expand across other organs. A new study by Prof. Sarah-Maria Fendt from the VIB-KU Leuven Center for Cancer Biology and her PhD student Ilaria Elia has shown that breast cancer cells require the nutrient pyruvate to do this.
Source: EurekAlert! - Cancer - Category: Cancer & Oncology Source Type: news