{"id":58022,"date":"2026-08-04T10:36:58","date_gmt":"2026-08-04T08:36:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fgu.cas.cz\/?p=58022"},"modified":"2026-08-04T11:05:21","modified_gmt":"2026-08-04T09:05:21","slug":"first-metabolomic-and-lipidomic-atlas-of-a-rare-lung-tumour-opens-the-way-to-the-search-for-new-biomarkers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fgu.cas.cz\/en\/2026\/08\/first-metabolomic-and-lipidomic-atlas-of-a-rare-lung-tumour-opens-the-way-to-the-search-for-new-biomarkers\/","title":{"rendered":"First Metabolomic and Lipidomic Atlas of a Rare Lung Tumour Opens the Way to the Search for New Biomarkers"},"content":{"rendered":"

Large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the lung (LCNEC) is one of the rare but highly aggressive tumours with limited treatment options. A new study co-authored by scientists from IPHYS at the Laboratory of Translational Metabolism<\/a> provides the most detailed insight to date into how this tumour alters its metabolism. Using state-of-the-art metabolomics and lipidomics, the team created the first comprehensive atlas<\/a> of small molecules and lipids in LCNEC tumour tissue.<\/em><\/p>\n

The work involved a detailed analysis of paired samples of tumour and adjacent non-tumour lung tissue obtained from 34 patients. In total, the scientists described 1,052 polar metabolites and complex lipids, of which 665 differed significantly between tumour and non-tumour tissue.<\/p>\n

The Metabolic Fingerprint of an Aggressive Tumour<\/strong><\/p>\n

The analysis revealed extensive reprogramming of amino acid, nucleotide and lipid metabolism. Pronounced changes also affected pathways linked to glutathione, one of the principal systems protecting cells against oxidative stress. “This shows that LCNEC cells are metabolically geared not only towards rapid proliferation, but also towards coping with the stress associated with tumour growth,” adds Tom\u00e1\u0161 \u010cajka<\/a>, the corresponding author of the study and the Head of the Laboratory of Translational Metabolism at IPHYS.<\/p>\n

Newly Detected N-lactoyl Amino Acids<\/strong><\/p>\n

For the very first time, N-lactoyl amino acids were detected in LCNEC lung tumour tissue. These compounds are formed by the conjugation of lactate with amino acids, and their elevated levels most likely reflect the increased consumption of glucose in the tumour cells. Because their spectra had been missing from commonly used databases, the team first identified them as unknown signals and subsequently confirmed their structures using synthetic standards.<\/p>\n

A detailed, targeted analysis also detected marked changes in the lipidome and in the composition of cell membranes in tumour tissue, revealing that tumour cells undergo intensive remodelling of lysosomal membranes, lipid storage and altered fatty acid transport in mitochondria.<\/p>\n

Metabolomics Also Helps Verify Clinical Data<\/strong><\/p>\n

The study also included the measurement of cotinine, a nicotine metabolite, directly in lung tissue. In seven of the 33 patients with available data, the measured cotinine levels did not match the reported smoking status. This result shows that, alongside mapping tumour biology, metabolomics can also serve as an objective tool for verifying clinical information, such as tobacco smoke exposure.<\/p>\n

The new atlas shows that LCNEC has a hybrid metabolic profile, in some respects resembling small cell lung carcinoma, in others non-small cell lung tumours. It is precisely this biological distinctiveness that may explain why it is difficult to transfer treatment approaches from other types of lung tumour directly to LCNEC. The identified metabolic changes represent promising directions for the search for new biomarkers and future therapeutic strategies.<\/p>\n

The work was carried out through international collaboration between IPHYS, Charles University, Prague University Hospitals and partner institutions in Heidelberg and Berlin. The samples were processed using multiplatform liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry at the Metabolomics Core Facility of IPHYS.<\/p>\n

Reference:<\/strong> Tietzova I., Hricko J., Rancourt R. C., Schneider M. A., Allgauer M., and Cajka T.: A metabolomics and lipidomics atlas of pulmonary large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma. Biomed Pharmacother 198, 119327 (2026). IF = 7.5; DOI:10.1016\/j.biopha.2026.119327<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the lung (LCNEC) is one of the rare but highly aggressive tumours with limited treatment options. A new study co-authored by scientists from IPHYS at the Laboratory of Translational Metabolism provides the most detailed insight to date into how this tumour alters its metabolism. Using state-of-the-art metabolomics and lipidomics, the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":58077,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[113],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-58022","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-important-success"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fgu.cas.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58022","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fgu.cas.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fgu.cas.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fgu.cas.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fgu.cas.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=58022"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/fgu.cas.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58022\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fgu.cas.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/58077"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fgu.cas.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=58022"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fgu.cas.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=58022"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fgu.cas.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=58022"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}