Scientists Find New Way to Starve Cancer Tumors

Cancer cells have been secretly feasting on a nutrient scientists never realized could fuel their growth, but a team at the University of Rochester just figured out how to cut off their supply.

Dr. Isaac Harris and his team at the Wilmot Cancer Institute discovered that tumors aggressively consume glutathione, a powerful antioxidant the body makes naturally. Until now, most scientists focused on glutathione's ability to repair cell damage, not feed cancer.

"Cancer cells and normal cells potentially use different food sources," Harris explained. His team found that cancer cells specifically break down this antioxidant and use it as fuel to keep growing.

The discovery happened when researchers analyzed breast tumor samples from Wilmot's Biobank. They isolated and examined the fluid inside these tumors and found abundant storage of glutathione, confirming that tumors were devouring it as a nutrient source.

The team took their research one step further. Using preclinical models of breast cancer, they successfully slowed tumor growth by blocking the cancer's ability to use glutathione. They even identified an existing drug that could inhibit this process.

This finding could apply to many types of cancer. Preliminary research shows that numerous tumors consume glutathione, not just breast cancer.

Harris emphasized an important caveat about antioxidants. While eating fruits and vegetables rich in antioxidants remains crucial for overall health, people should be cautious about taking high-dose glutathione supplements, which are unregulated by the FDA.

"Eating a balanced diet with fruits and vegetables is important," Harris said. "But taking a pill with a high concentration of glutathione can present risks."

Why This Inspires

What makes this discovery so promising is the approach. Rather than attacking cancer with treatments that also damage healthy cells, researchers are learning to outsmart tumors by cutting off their unique fuel sources.

The research team is already working on next steps. University of Rochester chemists are improving the existing drug and identifying the precise proteins involved in feeding glutathione to tumors. They're also planning to test combinations of anti-cancer drugs alongside dietary changes that could improve outcomes.

"Even though glutathione was discovered 100 years ago, we are finding completely new aspects to its biology," Harris said. The goal is to develop therapies that kill tumors without impacting healthy cells.

Last year, Harris's colleague Dr. Jeevisha Bajaj made a similar discovery about taurine, another antioxidant found in energy drinks, which drives leukemia cell growth. These findings are opening an entirely new field of research into how cancer hijacks substances we thought were harmless.

The breakthrough reminds us that sometimes the most important discoveries come from looking at old problems in completely new ways.