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The aspartate aminotransaminase GOT1 is important for maintaining redox balance. Here, the authors show that inhibition of GOT1 in pancreatic cancer cells leads to cell death via ferroptosis.

Introduction: Robotic-assisted laparoscopic surgery (RALS) has revolutionized minimally invasive surgery in pediatric urology. The robotic platform allows surgeons to maintain the benefits of laparoscopic surgery while having enhanced three-dimensional view, dexterity, range of motion, and control of high-resolution cameras. In this review, we summarize the indications and recent outcomes for various pediatric urologic RALS procedures to illustrate the current state of robotics in pediatric urology. Methods: We systematically searched the PubMed and EMBASE databases. We extrapolated and summarized recent evidence on RALS in pediatric urology patients, with an emphasis on indications and outcomes, with regard to the following procedures and search terms: pyeloplasty, kidney stone surgery, partial nephrectomy, nephroureterectomy, ureteral reimplantation, appendico-vesicostomy, augmentation cystoplasty, bladder neck reconstruction, and Malone antegrade continence enema. Additional Medical Subject Headings terms used to augment the search included “Treatment Outcome” and “Robotic Surgical Procedures.” Results: Increasing usage of RALS has shown many benefits in perioperative and postoperative outcomes. In addition, there is growing evidence that robotic procedures in pediatric urology result in similar or better surgical outcomes when compared to the standard of care. Conclusions: RALS has shown considerable effectiveness in pediatric urologic procedures and may achieve surgical outcomes comparable to the standard approaches of open or laparoscopic surgery. However, larger case series and prospective randomized controlled trials are still necessary to validate the reported outcomes, in addition to cost analyses and studies on the surgical learning curve. We believe that the continuous evolution of robotic platforms will allow for enhanced care and quality of life for pediatric urology patients.

Rewired metabolism is a hallmark of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDA). Previously, we demonstrated that PDA cells enhance glycosylation precursor biogenesis through the hexosamine biosynthetic pathway (HBP) via activation of the rate limiting enzyme, glutamine-fructose 6-phosphate amidotransferase 1 (GFAT1). Here, we genetically ablated GFAT1 in human PDA cell lines, which completely blocked proliferation in vitro and led to cell death. In contrast, GFAT1 knockout did not preclude the growth of human tumor xenografts in mice, suggesting that cancer cells can maintain fidelity of glycosylation precursor pools by scavenging nutrients from the tumor microenvironment. We found that hyaluronic acid (HA), an abundant carbohydrate polymer in pancreatic tumors composed of repeating N-acetyl-glucosamine (GlcNAc) and glucuronic acid sugars, can bypass GFAT1 to refuel the HBP via the GlcNAc salvage pathway. Together, these data show HA can serve as a nutrient fueling PDA metabolism beyond its previously appreciated structural and signaling roles.