Ovarian Cancer's Hidden Weakness: An Arginine Gateway on the Cell

Researchers in Toronto have identified a potential metabolic weakness in high-grade serous ovarian cancer by mapping the proteins displayed on the cell surface in high resolution. In a Genome Biology study led by Thomas Kislinger at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and the University of Toronto, the team used cell surface N-glycoproteomics to catalog exterior proteins that carry sugar chains and are accessible to circulating drugs and antibodies. They compared cancer cell lines with normal epithelial cells from the fallopian tube, the tissue of origin, and with cancer-associated stromal cells. Surface proteins abundant in cancer but scarce or absent in normal tissue are framed as ideal drug targets. The work also cross-referenced candidates with data from The Cancer Genome Atlas.