Figure 9
From: Cysteine allows ovarian cancer cells to adapt to hypoxia and to escape from carboplatin cytotoxicity
Role of cysteine in cells response to carboplatin and hypoxia adaptation. In cancer cells, cysteine allows adaptation to an adverse hypoxic microenvironment acting as a redox buffer, and to platinum-based chemotherapy as sulphur rapidly binds to carboplatin, avoiding DNA damage and evading apoptosis. Because of the presence of high cysteine concentrations in ascitic fluid from patients with ovarian cancer and also in serum from patients with ovarian malignant neoplasms, we propose that cysteine acts as a first protection barrier for malignant cells against hypoxia, having a role as a redox buffer. Results suggest a role of cysteine in ovarian malignant tumours and in disease progression, as cysteine is the prevalent thiol in ascitic fluid, an important compartment of tumour cells microenvironment.
