UVA researchers use yeast in cancer research

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) - Researchers at UVA School of Medicine may have opened the door to treating certain kinds of cancer.

It involves a main ingredient in a drink many of us may enjoy after a long day of work.

The latest discovery from the School of Medicine focuses on yeast, normally used to brew beer. Researchers are using this to better understand a similar process in cancer cells.

“We’re very excited about this work, and we hope that we continue making these discoveries, that one day, will, you know, help us understand some you know, how cancer cells go to sleep and wake up,” UVA Professor of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics Ahmad Jomaa said

Jomaa says this latest discovery has been three years in the making.

“We’re very much interested in looking at how ribosomes, which is the protein synthesis factor in the cell, interacts with mitochondria, which is the powerhouse, or the battery of the of the cell,” Jomaa said. “We came across a condition when we starve yeast cells, these ribosomes start sticking to the mitochondria.”

Once this happens the yeast cells go dormant similar to cancer cells.

“We cannot starve a human cell, and it will not be able to survive, it will die,” Jomaa said. “But in cancer, a small number of cells can do that, and they can escape diagnostic setting by simply going to a dormant state, they don’t divide anymore, and then they can actually go to another part of the body and cause cancer relapse.”

These cells can live in this state for a long time before coming back to life again.

This is what Jomaa’s work is centered around.

“Understanding how these cells can enter and exit this dormant state is a very important aspect of further treatment for those patients after they’ve even after they’ve been declared cancer free,” UVA PHD Student Maciej Gluc said.

Gluc says this new discovery could uncover new ways to prevent a relapse from ever happening.

“While doing that in a cancer cell probably would be ideal, it is very hard to manipulate those cells in the exact way that we want to,” Gluc said. “However, with yeast, it’s a lot easier. So, these cells could be used for at least the initial part of developing some kind of new treatments.”

Jomaa and his team say they may have some more exciting news to share sometime next year depending on how their next few tests go.

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