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Aug 16, 2023

Methionine and H2S alter cancer

Cancer metabolism Nature Metabolism (2023)Cite this article 16 Accesses 8 Altmetric Metrics details Methionine restriction modulates tumour growth and ageing processes through its influence on diverse

Cancer metabolism

Nature Metabolism (2023)Cite this article

16 Accesses

8 Altmetric

Metrics details

Methionine restriction modulates tumour growth and ageing processes through its influence on diverse metabolic processes. Ji et al. demonstrate that methionine restriction compromises production of hydrogen sulfide (H2S), which impairs H2S-mediated immune signalling and results in increased cancer progression in immunocompetent mice.

Amino acids are critical nutrients that fuel diverse biochemical processes within tissues and the microbiome, which supports the synthesis of proteins, lipids, nucleotides, cofactors and post-translational modifications such as histone methylation. As such, researchers have attempted to modulate amino acid availability to control disease states and age-related pathologies1,2,3,4. In the context of cancer, the restriction of amino acids such as methionine, serine, glycine and asparagine has shown promising results in limiting the proliferation of cancer cells5 and improving survival in preclinical models6. However, as we increasingly appreciate the ability of immune cells to hold cancer cells at bay, the effect of such amino acid interventions on the immune system must be better understood.

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Molecular and Cell Biology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA

Emeline Joulia & Christian M. Metallo

Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA

Christian M. Metallo

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Correspondence to Christian M. Metallo.

The authors declare no competing interests.

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Joulia, E., Metallo, C.M. Methionine and H2S alter cancer–immune dialogue. Nat Metab (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s42255-023-00862-3

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Published: 03 August 2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s42255-023-00862-3

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