Inhibition of glutathione metabolism attenuates esophageal cancer progression

Inhibiting the production of the antioxidant molecule glutathione shows potential for treating a common form of deadly esophageal cancer. Liang Peng and colleagues at the Chinese PLA General Hospital in Beijing with co-workers elsewhere in China and the USA detected increased production of glutathione in a mouse model of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Treating the mice with a drug that inhibits glutathione production reduced the number of tumors and allowed the mice to maintain a healthier body weight. The work revealed details of a molecular pathway regulating progression of the cancer. The researchers have not yet demonstrated that the treatment could increase survival rates, as all the mice were sacrificed for analysis. They suggest, however, that their procedure could be used to test the anticancer potential of drugs that inhibit glutathione production.