Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32298377›Full record

ArticlePloS one2020

Combining lipoic acid to methylene blue reduces the Warburg effect in CHO cells: From TCA cycle activation to enhancing monoclonal antibody production.

Léa Montégut, Pablo César Martínez-Basilio, Jorgelindo da Veiga Moreira, Laurent Schwartz, Mario Jolicoeur

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
9citing papers in PubMed
0.7field-weighted citation impact, top 33% 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

9 citing papers in PubMed, 15 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. The role of lactate in retinal health and disease: mechanisms and potential therapeutic strategies. A narrative review.Graefe's archive for clinical and experimental ophthalmology = Albrecht von Graefes Archiv fur klinische und experimentelle Ophthalmologie · 2026
    Review
  2. Review
  3. Review
  4. Citric Acid Cycle Genes and Nutrigenetics.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026
    Review
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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

5 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

Léa MontégutDepartment of Chemical Engineering, Research Laboratory in Applied Metabolic Engineering, École Polytechnique de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
Pablo César Martínez-BasilioDepartment of Chemical Engineering, Research Laboratory in Applied Metabolic Engineering, École Polytechnique de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
Jorgelindo da Veiga MoreiraDepartment of Chemical Engineering, Research Laboratory in Applied Metabolic Engineering, École Polytechnique de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-8020-9562
Laurent SchwartzAssistance Publique des Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France.
Mario JolicoeurDepartment of Chemical Engineering, Research Laboratory in Applied Metabolic Engineering, École Polytechnique de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-0875-7265
Polytechnique Montréal · CAAssistance Publique – Hôpitaux de Paris · FR

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The Warburg effect, a hallmark of cancer, has recently been identified as a metabolic limitation of Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cells, the primary platform for the production of monoclonal antibodies (mAb). Metabolic engineering approaches, including genetic modifications and feeding strategies, have been attempted to impose the metabolic prevalence of respiration over aerobic glycolysis. Their main objective lies in decreasing lactate production while improving energy efficiency. Although yielding promising increases in productivity, such strategies require long development phases and alter entangled metabolic pathways which singular roles remain unclear. We propose to apply drugs used for the metabolic therapy of cancer to target the Warburg effect at different levels, on CHO cells. The use of α-lipoic acid, a pyruvate dehydrogenase activator, replenished the Krebs cycle through increased anaplerosis but resulted in mitochondrial saturation. The electron shuttle function of a second drug, methylene blue, enhanced the mitochondrial capacity. It pulled on anaplerotic pathways while reducing stress signals and resulted in a 24% increase of the maximum mAb production. Finally, the combination of both drugs proved to be promising for stimulating Krebs cycle activity and mitochondrial respiration. Therefore, drugs used in metabolic therapy are valuable candidates to understand and improve the metabolic limitations of CHO-based bioproduction.

Indexed as

AnimalsAntibodies, MonoclonalCell ProliferationCell SurvivalCHO CellsCitric Acid CycleCricetulusGlucoseGlutamineGlycolysisLactic AcidMembrane Potential, MitochondrialMetabolic EngineeringMethylene BlueMitochondriaOxidative PhosphorylationAntibodies, MonoclonalGlucoseGlutamineLactic AcidMethylene BlueThioctic Acid

Identifiers

PMID32298377
PMCPMC7162497
OpenAlexW3016714772

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.