Intending to expand this minimal understanding, researchers from the University of Tsukuba have demonstrated a significant function for ELOVL6 in the development of severe myeloid leukemia (AML), a type of blood cancer. In addition, they discovered that higher levels of ELOVL6 correspond to lowered survival rates in leukemia patients.
Importantly, the loss of ELOVL6 also prevented the advancement of leukemia in a mouse model.
Significantly, the loss of ELOVL6 likewise prevented the advancement of leukemia in a mouse model. Analysis of gene expression profiles revealed that the cells lacking ELOVL6 had changes to genes involved in cytoskeletal renovation and chemotaxis– equipment included in cell movement. In-depth molecular studies confirmed that ELOVL6 loss impaired cytoskeletal remodeling and chemotaxis, likely through dysfunction of PI3K and Rac1, which are crucial cellular regulative molecules.
” Taken together, this suggests that fairly small changes to the cell membrane lipid material can have unforeseen and extreme results on the advancement of blood cancers,” describes senior author Professor Shigeru Chiba. Surprisingly, the group kept in mind that though blood production and AML pathology are closely related, ELOVL6 loss did not affect typical blood production or function.
The group went on to utilize data available from online databases to reveal a link in between high levels of ELOVL6 and an even worse overall survival from AML. “ELOVL6 and its downstream paths had actually never previously been considered as potential targets for leukemia treatment, as this link between lipids and blood function was undiscovered,” discusses Professor Chiba.
Now, however, this study exposes that ELOVL6 and its associated pathways are really appealing targets for the advancement of unique treatments for leukemia, and is anticipated to springboard further research study into the relationships between lipid metabolic process and cancer.
Recommendation: “The fat elongase Elovl6 is crucial for hematopoietic stem cell engraftment and leukemia proliferation” by Yusuke Kiyoki, Takayasu Kato, Sakura Kito, Takashi Matsuzaka, Shin Morioka, Junko Sasaki, Kenichi Makishima, Tatsuhiro Sakamoto, Hidekazu Nishikii, Naoshi Obara, Mamiko Sakata-Yanagimoto, Takehiko Sasaki, Hitoshi Shimano and Shigeru Chiba, 8 March 2023, Leukemia.DOI: 10.1038/ s41375-023-01842-y.
This work was supported by Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research (KAKENHI: 20646591 and 20K08724 to TK and 18968151 to HN) from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan; the SENSHIN Medical Research Foundation to TK; the Takeda Science Foundation to HN; AMED (Grant Number JP 211m0203010 to TK); and the Project for Cancer Research and Therapeutic Evolution (P-CREATE) from AMED to SC.
Researchers have connected ELOVL6, an enzyme in lipid metabolic process, to severe myeloid leukemia advancement and patient survival, making it a prospective target for future leukemia therapies.
Researchers at the University of Tsukuba have discovered an unanticipated connection between an enzyme called ELOVL6, important in lipid metabolism, and the expansion of leukemia.
Lipids, or organic fatty compounds, exist in a huge variety within cells. The creation and decomposition of these lipids, a procedure called lipid metabolism, is essential to the guideline of cellular structure and functionality, as well as the operation of cell membranes. A specific enzyme, ELOVL6, which extends fat chains, is essential in several cellular metabolic procedures.
Intending to expand this restricted understanding, scientists from the University of Tsukuba have demonstrated a significant function for ELOVL6 in the evolution of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a type of blood cancer. In addition, they found that greater levels of ELOVL6 correspond to lowered survival rates in leukemia patients.
The group observed that a deletion of ELOVL6 in bone marrow stem cells, which are accountable for producing all kinds of blood cells, altered cellular lipid contents and prevented engraftment in mice– a procedure where transplanted stem cells take a trip through the blood to the bone marrow.