Dual role of N-acetyl-aspartyl-glutamate metabolism in cancer monitor and therapy

Abstract

We uncovered the neurotransmitter N-acetyl-aspartyl-glutamate (NAAG) as a reservoir providing glutamate to promote cancer growth, and demonstrated that inhibition of NAAG hydrolysis by targeting glutamate carboxypeptidase II is a viable strategy for cancer therapy. Our study also suggests that NAAG concentration in plasma could be a non-invasive measurement to monitor cancer progression.

Keywords

• n-acetyl-aspartyl-glutamate (naag)
• glutamate carboxypeptidase ii (gcpii)
• glutaminase inhibitor
• glutamate reservoir
• stable isotope-resolved metabolomics (sirm)