New Insights into Enzyme's Role in Lymphoma Development and Progression

Recent research conducted by scientists at the University of Cincinnati Cancer Center has provided significant new understanding of how specific enzymes influence lymphoma growth. The study focused on the enzyme phosphoribosyl pyrophosphate synthetase (PRPS), which exists in two forms: PRPS1 and PRPS2, within lymphoma cells. Using advanced CRISPR gene editing techniques, researchers selectively knocked out these enzymes in lymphoma cell models to examine their roles.

The findings revealed that PRPS2 is particularly active in lymphoma cells with overexpressed MYC, a major oncogene known to escalate the metabolism of cancer cells, aiding their rapid growth and proliferation. Both PRPS1 and PRPS2 are involved in regulating cellular redox homeostasis—the balance of oxidative and reductive states crucial to cell survival. Manipulating these enzymes altered the cells' vulnerability to oxidative or reductive stress, thereby affecting their survival.

Specifically, disabling PRPS2 induced reductive stress that could be exploited therapeutically, offering a promising pathway for future lymphoma treatments. The research suggests that targeting the PRPS complex could weaken cancer cells and enhance the effectiveness of existing therapies, including chemotherapy. The team is now working on developing and testing drugs that manipulate PRPS activity, aiming to improve treatment outcomes for aggressive lymphomas overexpressing MYC.

This groundbreaking study not only deepens our understanding of lymphoma metabolism but also opens new avenues for targeted therapy development, with potential for more effective clinical interventions in the future.

For more details, see the full study published in Redox Biology: DOI: 10.1016/j.redox.2025.103649.

Source: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-05-enzyme-role-lymphoma-growth.html