Cancer cells can survive even when deprived of nutrients

February 13, 2026

Discovery of a metabolism-sugar cooperation mechanism, bringing a new perspective on cancer therapy

A research group at Nagoya University, in collaboration with Osaka University, Osaka International Cancer Institute, and the RIKEN CSRS, has recently discovered a mechanism by which cancer cells survive nutrient deprivation.

Cancer cells can flexibly switch their metabolic systems to survive a harsh environment where their energy source, sugar (glucose), is lacking. When glucose is depleted, the metabolic pathway that produces a type of sugar, mannose, in cells becomes less efficient. It has been shown that, as a consequence, sugar chains, which play a crucial role in cancer progression, are no longer produced in sufficient quantities. However, it remains unclear how a decrease in sugar chains affects cancer cell fates.

In this study, the researchers established an experimental system that can gradually change the amount of sugar chains produced through mannose metabolism by genetically modifying cancer cells. They demonstrated that the reduction in the amount of sugar chains associated with the decline in mannose metabolism acts as a switch, helping cancer cells survive or decreasing their stress tolerance according to the sugar-chain reduction.

This study provides a new perspective on understanding how metabolism and sugar chains cooperate to support cancer cells’ survival. It also suggests that a precise control of mannose metabolism and sugar chain production might lead to a new strategy for cancer treatment.

 

Original article

Journal of Biological Chemistry　doi: 10.1016/j.jbc.2026.111213

Z. Wang, Y. Miyamoto, T. Suzuki, M. Tanaka-Okamoto, Y. Mizote, N. Dohmae, H. Tahara, N. Taniguchi, Y. Harada,

"Mannose metabolic pathway senses glucose supply and regulates cell fate decisions".

Contact

Naoshi Dohmae
Unit Leader
Biomolecular Characterization Unit