Description
Each year, approximately 20 million new cases of cancer and 10 million cancer-related deaths are recorded worldwide of which 90% are associated with metastases. Cancer types characterized by increased fatty acid utilization are typically more aggressive, progress rapidly, and are resistant to traditional therapies.
Recent scientific findings suggest that inhibiting fatty acid oxidation can suppress the growth of certain tumors. However, current diagnostic and therapeutic approaches lack methods to assess lipid metabolism in tumor progression, potentially leading to underestimation of tumor aggressiveness. The Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis, a leading drug discovery and preclinical pharmacology center in the Baltics, will carry out a project in collaboration with the Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, an internationally recognized center of excellence in clinical oncology and personalized medicine.
The Achievable Results
The project's goal is to compare fatty acid oxidation markers in cancer and control tissues, as well as to analyze fatty acid metabolites in patient tissues and plasma.
The Anticipated Benefit
The results will allow the identification of fatty acid-related biomarkers, which will help develop precision oncology, and create diagnostic methods for clinical laboratories to detect fatty acid oxidation-dependent cancer types.