EC GNG metabolism | Endothelial Gluconeogenesis: a novel target for tumor anti-angiogenesis?

Summary
Angiogenesis promotes tumor progression and metastasis; unfortunately current anti-angiogenic strategies targeting endothelial growth factors suffer from limited efficacy and toxicity. The host laboratory pioneered the novel concept that blood vessel forming endothelial cells (ECs) reprogram their metabolism to become glucose-addicted and rely on glycolysis to generate ATP required for angiogenesis. Furthermore, to increase biomass production and maintain redox homeostasis, ECs shunt glycolytic intermediates into glycolysis side-pathways. Further ECs diverge from pre-existing blood vessel into avascular tissue, the scarcer external glucose levels will become. Currently, how ECs maintain the generation of glycolytic intermediates under such conditions remains unknown. One possibility is the de-novo synthesis of these intermediates through gluconeogenesis (GNG).

To date, nothing is known about GNG metabolism in ECs, which underscores the novelty of my proposal. GNG is particularly interesting since preliminary findings indicate that ECs express all enzymes involved in GNG, and impairing this pathway decreases EC proliferation and sprouting. Therefore, through a multi-angled approach, I will unravel the role of GNG in ECs and uncover its contribution to blood vessel sprouting both in normal and pathological angiogenesis.

Ultimately this project will explore whether blocking GNG may inhibit pathological angiogenesis (e.g. cancer) and translate my findings into therapeutic strategies.
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More information & hyperlinks
Web resources: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/709248
Start date: 01-01-2017
End date: 13-02-2019
Total budget - Public funding: 172 800,00 Euro - 172 800,00 Euro
Cordis data

Original description

Angiogenesis promotes tumor progression and metastasis; unfortunately current anti-angiogenic strategies targeting endothelial growth factors suffer from limited efficacy and toxicity. The host laboratory pioneered the novel concept that blood vessel forming endothelial cells (ECs) reprogram their metabolism to become glucose-addicted and rely on glycolysis to generate ATP required for angiogenesis. Furthermore, to increase biomass production and maintain redox homeostasis, ECs shunt glycolytic intermediates into glycolysis side-pathways. Further ECs diverge from pre-existing blood vessel into avascular tissue, the scarcer external glucose levels will become. Currently, how ECs maintain the generation of glycolytic intermediates under such conditions remains unknown. One possibility is the de-novo synthesis of these intermediates through gluconeogenesis (GNG).

To date, nothing is known about GNG metabolism in ECs, which underscores the novelty of my proposal. GNG is particularly interesting since preliminary findings indicate that ECs express all enzymes involved in GNG, and impairing this pathway decreases EC proliferation and sprouting. Therefore, through a multi-angled approach, I will unravel the role of GNG in ECs and uncover its contribution to blood vessel sprouting both in normal and pathological angiogenesis.

Ultimately this project will explore whether blocking GNG may inhibit pathological angiogenesis (e.g. cancer) and translate my findings into therapeutic strategies.

Status

CLOSED

Call topic

MSCA-IF-2015-EF

Update Date

28-04-2024
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Horizon 2020
H2020-EU.1. EXCELLENT SCIENCE
H2020-EU.1.3. EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
H2020-EU.1.3.2. Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility
H2020-MSCA-IF-2015
MSCA-IF-2015-EF Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF-EF)