Biguanides active against tumours

摘要

Using a new continuous-flow culture apparatus called Nutrostat, designed to ensure constant and controlled extracellular nutrient levels, David Sabatini and colleagues screened cancer cell lines for genes that are sensitive to low glucose levels. They found that the ability of cells to increase mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation under conditions of low glucose was crucial. Cancer cells unable to do so owing to impaired glucose utilization or mitochondrial DNA mutations were particularly sensitive to a class of compounds, biguanides, which are used to treat diabetes.