Oct 13, 2020
Can researchers better utilize
our cellular powerhouses to fight infection? Yes, according to this
podcast, but it's all about timing and balance. James Phelan's
research into when cells utilize glycolysis and what that might
achieve for
infectious diseases has turned the cancer field on its head.
Listen in to learn about metabolic pathway research that has
therapeutic-changing potential.
He addresses
James J. Phelan is a
postdoctoral research fellow at Trinity College in Dublin. He spent
most of his PhD work developing an expertise in cellular
metabolism, specifically in the context of esophageal cancer. He
explains how he carefully examined the metabolic pathways
accompanying the progression from Barrett's esophagus to cancer of
the esophagus. Barrett's esophagus, or intestinal metaplasia,
indicates a distortion of cells and is the biggest risk factor for
esophageal cancer.
He found that as patients progress from this inflammatory
esophageal condition to cancer, their cells use an aggressive form
of metabolism called glycolysis, which involves a higher flux of
cytokines and chemokines, both damaging to tissue. In other words,
glycolysis is a cancer-specific form of metabolism.
He brought this findings into
the infectious disease and immunology field and found that
glycolysis has a contrasting role in an infectious disease context.
However, it started with a similarity: as with cancer patients,
infectious disease patients are burdened with high inflammation.
The goal of therapeutics is to reduce inflammation, particularly
with TB, one of his specialties.
Here's where it gets tricky and innovative: if glycolysis as the
main metabolic pathway is turned on early for TB, it will help
eradicate the infection. They've found an iron binder in clinical
trials for COVID-19 that can turn on glycolysis in macrophages
infected with TB and clear the infection. By using this compound,
they can switch on glycolysis and turn on cytokines, which are
actually very harmful in the late stage of TB. But in the early
stage, they are curative.
He explains this surprising finding in more detail as well as
therapeutic possibilities such as in vaccinations and other ways
this research may help inform
vaccines and the immune response.
For more, see his website at Trinity College.
Available on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/2Os0myK