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Proliferation of cancer cells: a new biochemical pathway identified

Mitochondria are organelles that provide most of the energy necessary for the cell. This energy is provided in “tokens” of adenosine triphosphate, or ATP, a molecule that is required in most chemical reactions and that is essential for all biological processes, such as locomotion, cell division, and transfer of material across membranes. Cancer cells also require energy to proliferate, and for this they need functional mitochondria. In an article published in Cell Metabolism, scientists from Europe, Asia, North America and Oceania, coordinated by Prof. Jiri Neuzil (Czech Republic and Australia), and including Institut Pasteur, reveal an unexpected role of mitochondria in the proliferation of cancer cells. With this discovery, they also identify a novel target for anti-cancer treatments.

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