Evidence map›Paper›PMID 28492237›Full record

ArticleNature communications2017

Proline metabolism supports metastasis formation and could be inhibited to selectively target metastasizing cancer cells.

Ilaria Elia, Dorien Broekaert, Stefan Christen, Ruben Boon, Enrico Radaelli, Martin F Orth, Catherine Verfaillie, Thomas G P Grünewald, Sarah-Maria Fendt

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 256 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
256citing papers in PubMed
11.9field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

256 citing papers in PubMed, 426 citations in OpenAlex.

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  8. CoQExperimental & molecular medicine · 2026
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196 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Ilaria EliaLaboratory of Cellular Metabolism and Metabolic Regulation, VIB Center for Cancer Biology, VIB, Herestraat 49, Leuven 3000, Belgium.
Dorien BroekaertLaboratory of Cellular Metabolism and Metabolic Regulation, VIB Center for Cancer Biology, VIB, Herestraat 49, Leuven 3000, Belgium.
Stefan ChristenLaboratory of Cellular Metabolism and Metabolic Regulation, VIB Center for Cancer Biology, VIB, Herestraat 49, Leuven 3000, Belgium.
Ruben BoonStem Cell Institute, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49, Leuven 3000, Belgium.
Enrico RadaelliCenter for the Biology of Disease, VIB Leuven and Center for Human Genetics, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49, Leuven 3000, Belgium.
Martin F OrthMax-Eder Research Group for Pediatric Sarcoma Biology, Institute of Pathology, LMU Munich, Thalkirchner Strasse 36, Munich 80337, Germany.
Catherine VerfaillieStem Cell Institute, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49, Leuven 3000, Belgium.
Thomas G P GrünewaldMax-Eder Research Group for Pediatric Sarcoma Biology, Institute of Pathology, LMU Munich, Thalkirchner Strasse 36, Munich 80337, Germany.
Sarah-Maria FendtLaboratory of Cellular Metabolism and Metabolic Regulation, VIB Center for Cancer Biology, VIB, Herestraat 49, Leuven 3000, Belgium.
VIB-KU Leuven Center for Cancer Biology · BEKU Leuven · BELudwig-Maximilians-Universität München · DE

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Metastases are the leading cause of mortality in patients with cancer. Metastasis formation requires cancer cells to adapt their cellular phenotype. However, how metabolism supports this adaptation of cancer cells is poorly defined. We use 2D versus 3D cultivation to induce a shift in the cellular phenotype of breast cancer cells. We discover that proline catabolism via proline dehydrogenase (Prodh) supports growth of breast cancer cells in 3D culture. Subsequently, we link proline catabolism to in vivo metastasis formation. In particular, we find that PRODH expression and proline catabolism is increased in metastases compared to primary breast cancers of patients and mice. Moreover, inhibiting Prodh is sufficient to impair formation of lung metastases in the orthotopic 4T1 and EMT6.5 mouse models, without adverse effects on healthy tissue and organ function. In conclusion, we discover that Prodh is a potential drug target for inhibiting metastasis formation.

Indexed as

Adenosine TriphosphateAldehyde DehydrogenaseAnimalsCell Culture TechniquesCell Line, TransformedCell Line, TumorCell Proliferationdelta-1-Pyrroline-5-Carboxylate ReductaseHumansLung NeoplasmsMice, Inbred C57BLProlineProline OxidasePyrroline Carboxylate ReductasesSpheroids, CellularAdenosine TriphosphateAldehyde DehydrogenaseALDH18A1 protein, humandelta-1-Pyrroline-5-Carboxylate ReductasePRODH protein, humanProlineProline OxidasePyrroline Carboxylate Reductases

Identifiers

PMID28492237
PMCPMC5437289
OpenAlexW2612372140

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.