Starving tumors by blocking glutamine uptake

Scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute have identified a drug candidate that blocks the uptake of glutamine, a key food source for many tumors, and slows the growth of melanoma. The drug is a small molecule that targets a glutamine transporter, SLC1A5, which pumps the nutrient into cancer cells—offering a promising new approach for treating melanoma and other cancers. The study was published in the journal Molecular Cancer Therapeutics.