Health & Medicine
Mice Without the TRAP-1 Protein Live Longer
Kathleen Lees
First Posted: Jul 31, 2014 04:15 PM EDT
A new study published in the journal Cell Reports found that mice that lack a specific protein may live longer due to fewer age-related illnesses than those who carry it.
Researchers at the Wistar Institute National Cancer Center found that the protein, TRAP-1, which is responsible for regulating metabolism and energy production in the mitochondria if the cells are healthy, can overproduce and negatively affect the amount of energy that mitochondria produce in cancer cells.
"In tumors, the loss of TRAP-1 is devastating, triggering a host of catastrophic defects, including metabolic problems that ultimately result in in death of the tumor cells," said Dario C. Altieri, M.D., Robert and Penny Fox Distinguished Professor and director of The Wistar Institute's National Cancer Institute-designated Cancer Center, in a news release.
For the study, researchers genetically altered mice to lack the TRAP-1 protein. Without the protein, they were unable to make enough energy for the cells.
Findings showed that this group of mice was capable of using other cellular mechanisms to make energy. Furthermore, they also had less tissue degeneration tied to aging and lived longer than the other mice with a lower risk for obesity and potential tumors.
"We see this astounding change in TRAP-1 knockout mice, where they show fewer signs of aging and are less likely to develop cancers," concluded Altieri. "Our findings provide an unexpected explanation for how TRAP-1 and related proteins regulate metabolism within our cells. We usually link the reprogramming of metabolic pathways with human diseases, such as cancer. What we didn't expect to see were healthier mice with fewer tumors."
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First Posted: Jul 31, 2014 04:15 PM EDT
A new study published in the journal Cell Reports found that mice that lack a specific protein may live longer due to fewer age-related illnesses than those who carry it.
Researchers at the Wistar Institute National Cancer Center found that the protein, TRAP-1, which is responsible for regulating metabolism and energy production in the mitochondria if the cells are healthy, can overproduce and negatively affect the amount of energy that mitochondria produce in cancer cells.
"In tumors, the loss of TRAP-1 is devastating, triggering a host of catastrophic defects, including metabolic problems that ultimately result in in death of the tumor cells," said Dario C. Altieri, M.D., Robert and Penny Fox Distinguished Professor and director of The Wistar Institute's National Cancer Institute-designated Cancer Center, in a news release.
For the study, researchers genetically altered mice to lack the TRAP-1 protein. Without the protein, they were unable to make enough energy for the cells.
Findings showed that this group of mice was capable of using other cellular mechanisms to make energy. Furthermore, they also had less tissue degeneration tied to aging and lived longer than the other mice with a lower risk for obesity and potential tumors.
"We see this astounding change in TRAP-1 knockout mice, where they show fewer signs of aging and are less likely to develop cancers," concluded Altieri. "Our findings provide an unexpected explanation for how TRAP-1 and related proteins regulate metabolism within our cells. We usually link the reprogramming of metabolic pathways with human diseases, such as cancer. What we didn't expect to see were healthier mice with fewer tumors."
See Now: NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone