癌症一直是備受關注的議題,至今已累積不少證據,癌細胞的新陳代謝與普通細胞有著與別不同的地方。968Please respect copyright.PENANA3O8c68rT3R
968Please respect copyright.PENANA5ikcvdVixN
不少科學家深信,若然能夠針對癌細胞獨有的新陳代謝機制,將能更有效及針對性抑壓癌細胞的生長,甚至是殲滅它們。968Please respect copyright.PENANAZxsAHLpwxZ
968Please respect copyright.PENANAnrBRhEBllp
近日,有科學家發表文章(Ref1),提出新的證據顯示新陳代謝對於癌細胞擴展的重要性。968Please respect copyright.PENANA1uKvxsmRyg
968Please respect copyright.PENANAujZbFPcT7G
圖1)講解文章內容之前,我們需要快速學習一下相關的術語。968Please respect copyright.PENANAT5a3luhEjV968Please respect copyright.PENANAyssnaTP0ZM
968Please respect copyright.PENANA4xyPcvb0Oc
腫瘤由原來的位置轉移到另外一個器官,整個過程我們稱之為Metastasis。968Please respect copyright.PENANA3CpahwhMtq
968Please respect copyright.PENANA8Qs55Hc8cy
Primary Tumor(原發腫瘤)就是指原本被發現的癌細胞所在地,癌細胞會透過血液循環系統(Blood Circulatory System)或者淋巴系統(Lymphatic System)而從原本的位置轉移到另外一個器官,若然癌細胞能夠在第二個器官順利安頓下來及繁殖生長的話,我們會稱那腫瘤為Secondary Tumor(繼發性腫瘤)。968Please respect copyright.PENANA3hpJovnoMT
968Please respect copyright.PENANAo1MX5i8ivm
968Please respect copyright.PENANA9Qh93sYP6R
非常遺憾地,很多癌症病人的死因就在於Metastasis的發生,亦即是繼發性腫瘤的出現。968Please respect copyright.PENANABhVe2AKKDo
所以現今有不少科學家致力研究癌細胞Metastasis的機制,希望可以找出有效的方法阻止其發生。968Please respect copyright.PENANAJ582mtVJPF
968Please respect copyright.PENANAMD3RFkQxPu
968Please respect copyright.PENANAoJLhErnMIe
(圖2)科學家們分別從30歲以下人士及60歲以上人士抽取其血清用作培養癌細胞之用。968Please respect copyright.PENANArrSE1vjQvD968Please respect copyright.PENANAarnSwG9RSY
968Please respect copyright.PENANAm3sKvS6171
他們發現,利用60歲以上人士血清培養過的癌細胞,將比30歲以下人士的968Please respect copyright.PENANAFM2qCcKRol
1.更呈化療藥物抗藥性968Please respect copyright.PENANAWdO3jke8kT
2.更容易使癌細胞出現Metastasis968Please respect copyright.PENANANLKNftP6gg
968Please respect copyright.PENANAKIlqRzZzxb
968Please respect copyright.PENANAyiAcaFHFC1
(圖3)經過一大輪的實驗後,科學家們發現60歲以上人士的血清含有更多methylmalonic acid (MMA)。968Please respect copyright.PENANANlGlr1Ujbt968Please respect copyright.PENANAWAaF2KjbVE
968Please respect copyright.PENANAFBdwX00mzM
當清除血清裡的MMA過後,血清亦因而失去誘導癌細胞發生Metastasis的功能;968Please respect copyright.PENANADfUiGHtwGJ
MMA的來源,已知是由代謝蛋白質及脂肪的時候會產生出來。968Please respect copyright.PENANAMCru7A6ssD
968Please respect copyright.PENANAO2A9zDHM1P
而他們亦證實,脂肪結構會協助MMA更有效率進入癌細胞,誘發一系列的過程誘使Metastasis發生。968Please respect copyright.PENANAreBNFIrUwK
968Please respect copyright.PENANARFFk2v1oQm
確實究竟是甚麼的脂肪結構,以及為何年老人士會有較多的MMA,暫時還沒能搞清楚。968Please respect copyright.PENANAYCSHLjeGCd
968Please respect copyright.PENANAtvSKxKX3lY
缺乏維他命B12,已被確定為會引致更多MMA的產生,但是從60歲以上人士的血清裡頭並沒有發現維他命B12與血清的MMA有直接的關聯,相信一定是有其他的原因導致MMA濃度的增加。968Please respect copyright.PENANAKEAi9kUF9u
968Please respect copyright.PENANAbb3l9JrC93
要注意的是,文章所說的是,MMA有著誘導癌細胞進行Metastasis功效,而不是指MMA能夠誘導細胞轉化成為癌細胞。968Please respect copyright.PENANAahd5CZEw5Y
968Please respect copyright.PENANAJwfnaCPHXn
968Please respect copyright.PENANAR7lxJrKkgy
總結來說,隨著歲數的增加,我們身體裡的MMA濃度亦會增加,提供了一個「良好」的環境讓癌細胞進行Metastasis。968Please respect copyright.PENANALJiLu1eUVH
968Please respect copyright.PENANAZVOyA2HU0h
無論如何,如何想利用這結果來進一步發展日後的癌細胞醫療方法,還需要深入搞清楚裡頭的機制才行。968Please respect copyright.PENANABJtxLg28zC
968Please respect copyright.PENANAk2tolqPLQ0
968Please respect copyright.PENANAhpJX3bWWkg
如果想我快啲出文的話,請入去Penana網站科普專欄–薯不揀單俾一個like以及Bookmark,這對我非常之重要。968Please respect copyright.PENANAeWAqCldA0P
968Please respect copyright.PENANAecP4iX1yVX
Link: https://www.penana.com/story/66244/%E7%A7%91%E6%99%AE%E5%B0%88%E6%AC%84-%E8%96%AF%E4%B8%8D%E6%8F%80%E5%96%AE/toc968Please respect copyright.PENANABmTrLFkWQs
968Please respect copyright.PENANA0vEoPsE4D3
同時亦可以在Penana網站裡按「買一嚿/半嚿薯仔」,以課金的方式推動我繼續搜羅資料寫文,多謝。968Please respect copyright.PENANAPBzcE8eDbx
968Please respect copyright.PENANAvgUDEOwHNK
Link:968Please respect copyright.PENANAsV8cXr1wFb
https://www.penana.com/user/27349/%E8%96%AF%E4%BB%94%E8%81%9E%E8%8C%B1%E8%8E%89/portfolio968Please respect copyright.PENANAQ09YL1yA3B
968Please respect copyright.PENANAicDFyNNuPv
968Please respect copyright.PENANAD5rUjbh9wG
有興趣接收科普資訊的話,歡迎follow IG: potatopigtongue。968Please respect copyright.PENANATp2QFYBFg7
968Please respect copyright.PENANA8a86EZf2D8
968Please respect copyright.PENANAex30ucVChp
Ref1:https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2630-0