Cancer Cells ‘Cooperate’ to Survive, Study Finds

Targeting a specific enzyme could disrupt how cancer cells share nutrients, potentially leading to new treatments.

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Scientists have discovered that cancer cells, long thought to be competitive with each other, actually work together to source nutrients in harsh environments, according to a new study.

Researchers at New York University (NYU) identified a specific enzyme that enables this cooperation, allowing tumor cells to share resources when nutrients are scarce. When this enzyme was blocked, cancer cells were unable to feed and died completely.

Cooperation Under Harsh Conditions

The results of the NYU study, recently published in Nature, highlight an intriguing aspect of cancer biology. While cancer cells have historically been viewed as competitors for nutrients and resources, they may also display cooperative behaviors, especially in challenging environments. The researchers examined this duality in mice and illustrated cooperation among organisms under extreme conditions.