GOT1 Inhibition Induces Extracellular Matrix Remodeling in Pancreatic Cancer

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Rodrigo Curvello - , Monash University (Author)
  • Sandra Hauser - , Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) (Author)
  • Michael Seifert - , Institute for Medical Informatics and Biometry (Author)
  • Christopher K Barlow - , Monash University (Author)
  • Joel R Steele - , Monash University (Author)
  • Emma Salisbury - , Monash University (Author)
  • Daniel Croagh - , Monash University (Author)
  • Kathryn S Stok - , University of Melbourne (Author)
  • Anna V Taubenberger - , Oncomechanics (Research Group) (Author)
  • Ralf B Schittenhelm - , Monash University (Author)
  • Daniela Loessner - , Monash University (Author)

Abstract

Pancreatic cancer cells rely on glutamine to sustain their survival in the stiff and poorly vascularized tumor microenvironment (TME). Inhibiting glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase 1 (GOT1) is a strategy to target glutamine metabolism and impair cancer cell functions. However, it remains unclear how cellular and extracellular elements of the TME respond to GOT1 inhibition. We engineered a pancreatic TME model 'on a dish' and recreated the metabolic interactions. Stromal cells remodeled the extracellular matrix and upregulated metabolic programs, including glutamine metabolism, oxidative phosphorylation, and central carbon metabolism. Cell responses to GOT1 inhibition were modulated by TME elements, with reductions in cell viability and proliferation occurring only under tissue-like conditions. GOT1 inhibition altered matrix organization by upregulating different matrix-related proteins, while it did not enhance cell responses to cytotoxic drugs. Our findings uncover the metabolic crosstalk within the TME and show that metabolism-targeting treatments directly impact stromal elements of pancreatic cancer.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Article numbere16578
JournalAdvanced Science
Volume13
Issue number13
Early online date12 Jan 2026
Publication statusPublished - 3 Mar 2026
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

ORCID /0000-0002-2844-053X/work/203072314
unpaywall 10.1002/advs.202516578
Scopus 105031652932

Keywords

Sustainable Development Goals

Keywords

  • Aspartate Aminotransferase, Cytoplasmic/antagonists & inhibitors, Cell Line, Tumor, Cell Proliferation, Extracellular Matrix/metabolism, Humans, Pancreatic Neoplasms/metabolism, Tumor Microenvironment/drug effects, pancreatic cancer, tissue engineering, stromal cells, metabolism, extracellular matrix