A research team from the Department of Bioscience at Okayama University of Science has made a groundbreaking discovery: bitter taste receptors exist within cancer cells and significantly influence the expulsion of anticancer medications. This mechanism is a key factor in the development of multidrug resistance (MDR), a major challenge in cancer treatment.
The findings, published in the journal Scientific Reports, highlight a novel interaction between bitter taste receptors and cancer cells, marking the first identification of such receptors in this context globally. The age-old adage, “Good medicine tastes bitter,” may soon gain new relevance in the realm of molecular biology.
Humans typically detect bitterness when potentially harmful substances enter the mouth. Bitter taste receptors located in taste cells on the tongue sense these compounds, triggering an avoidance response to prevent ingestion of toxins. In a previous study, the same research group established that these receptors are also found in skin keratinocytes, where they identify toxic agents penetrating the skin and activate protective mechanisms to expel them.
In their recent investigation, the team discovered that this defensive mechanism is also present in various cancer cells, including those associated with breast and lung cancer. The bitter taste receptors within these cells are capable of detecting anticancer drugs, subsequently activating a “drug efflux pump” that effectively removes the drugs from the cells, thus fostering drug resistance.
The researchers identified multiple bitter taste receptors within cancer cells that can recognize a wide range of anticancer medications. Upon the entry of a drug into the cell, these receptors are triggered, activating the efflux pumps that transport the drug out, preventing it from achieving therapeutic concentrations inside the cell.
However, the research team is optimistic about the potential to reverse this process. By employing specific blockers that inhibit the function of bitter taste receptors, the pathway that detects drugs could be disrupted, which may help to mitigate the onset of resistance.
The persistent challenge of drug resistance during frequent chemotherapy treatments poses a significant hurdle in clinical oncology. This study suggests that the concurrent administration of bitter taste receptor blockers alongside anticancer drugs could provide a promising strategy to overcome this significant issue.
As various treatment modalities, including immunotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery, are utilized to combat cancer, the researchers are hopeful that their discovery will catalyze advancements in chemotherapy, enhancing its effectiveness and innovativeness.
For further details, refer to the work of Natsuki Nakamura and colleagues in the article titled “Chemosensory role of intracellular TAS2Rs, the activation of which triggers drug excretion by ABCB1 in cancer cells,” published in Scientific Reports.
