Study Examines How Lack of Vitamin Could Influence Cancer Development

What if simply cutting off a vitamin could strip cancer cells of their survival backup plan?

A new study from the University of Lausanne, published in Molecular Cell, has uncovered a surprising weakness in cancer cells—one that revolves around vitamin B7.

To grow and multiply, cancer cells need fuel. One of their favorite nutrients is glutamine, an amino acid that helps build DNA and proteins. Many tumors become “addicted” to glutamine. But here’s the twist: when glutamine is scarce, cancer cells often find clever ways to survive by switching to alternative energy sources.

This study reveals how that backup system works—and how it can fail.

Researchers found that cancer cells rely on a molecule called pyruvate to compensate when glutamine is low. For pyruvate to work, it depends on an enzyme known as pyruvate carboxylase. But this enzyme cannot function without vitamin B7. In simple terms, vitamin B7 acts like a key that unlocks an alternative energy pathway for cancer cells.

When scientists removed vitamin B7, that pathway shut down. Without it, cancer cells could no longer adapt, and their growth stopped.

The study also highlighted the role of the FBXW7 gene, which is often mutated in cancers. When this gene is altered, cancer cells lose some ability to use pyruvate effectively, making them even more dependent on glutamine—and potentially more vulnerable.

These findings help explain why some cancer treatments that target glutamine don’t always work. Tumors can switch fuel sources and escape. But now, scientists may have found a way to block both routes.

In the future, therapies could combine glutamine-blocking drugs with strategies that interfere with vitamin B7–dependent pathways. This dual approach might cut off cancer cells from all sides.

While more research is needed, this discovery opens the door to smarter, more targeted cancer treatments.

REFERENCE: Miriam Lisci, Fanny Vericel, Yifan Liu, Hector Gallart-Ayala, Julijana Ivanisevic, Owen S. Skinner, Alexis A. Jourdain. Functional nutrient-genetic profiling reveals biotin and FBXW7 are essential to bypass glutamine addiction. Molecular Cell, 2026; 86 (5): 901 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2026.02.002