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Publications

Journal Article Review Epublish

PubMed: 40095546 DOI: 10.3390/jcm14051620

ImmunoMet Oncogenesis: A New Concept to Understand the Molecular Drivers of Cancer.

J Clin Med 14(5)

Authors: Reshma Sirajee, Sami El Khatib, Levinus A Dieleman, Mohamed Salla, Shairaz Baksh

Affiliations

  • Faculty of Science, 1-001 CCIS, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E1, Canada.
  • Department of Biological & Chemical Sciences, Bekaa Campus, Lebanese International University, West Bekaa, Khiyara 1106, Lebanon.
  • Center for Applied Mathematics and Bioinformatics (CAMB), Gulf University for Science and Technology, Kuwait City 32093, Kuwait.
  • Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, 113 Street 87 Avenue, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E1, Canada.
  • Department of Pediatrics, Biochemistry and Division of Experimental Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, 113 Street 87 Avenue, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E1, Canada.
  • Women and Children's Health Research Institute, Edmonton Clinic Health Academy (ECHA), University of Alberta, 4-081 11405 87 Avenue, Edmonton, AB T6G 1C9, Canada.
  • BioImmuno Designs, 4747 154 Avenue, Edmonton, AB T5Y 0C2, Canada.
  • Bio-Stream Diagnostics, 2011 94 Street, Edmonton, AB T6H 1N1, Canada.

Abstract

The appearance of cancer progresses through a multistep process that includes genetic, epigenetic, mutational, inflammatory and metabolic disturbances to signaling pathways within an organ. The combined influence of these changes will dictate the growth properties of the cells; the direction of further malignancy depends on the severity of these "disturbances". The molecular mechanisms driving abnormal inflammation and metabolism are beginning to be identified and, in some cases, are quite prominent in pre-condition states of cancer and are significant drivers of the malignant phenotype. As such, utilizing signaling pathways linked to inflammation and metabolism as biomarkers of cancer is an emerging method and includes pathways beyond those well characterized to drive metabolism or inflammation. In this review, we will discuss several emerging elements influencing proliferation, inflammation and metabolism that may play a part as drivers of the cancer phenotype. These include AMPK and leptin (linked to metabolism), NOD2/RIPK2, TAK1 (linked to inflammation), lactate and pyruvate transporters (monocarboxylate transporter [MCT], linked to mitochondrial biogenesis and metabolism) and RASSF1A (linked to proliferation, cell death, cell cycle control, inflammation and epigenetics). We speculate that the aforementioned elements are important drivers of carcinogenesis that should be collectively referenced as being involved in "ImmunoMET Oncogenesis", a new tripartite description of the role of elements in driving cancer. This term would suggest that for a better understanding of cancer, we need to understand how proliferation, inflammation and metabolic pathways are impacted and how they influence classical drivers of malignant transformation in order to drive ImmunoMET oncogenesis and the malignant state.

MeSH

Cells, Leptin, Neoplasms, Phenotype, Carcinogenesis, Cell Death

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