Cancer Stem Cells Energy Addiction and NAMPT Vulnerability

Researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Cancer Center published a study on August 14, 2026, in Blood Cancer Discovery revealing that high-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) stem cells exhibit an energy addiction tied to their metabolism. Specifically, these malignant cells demonstrate a high dependence on nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) and rely heavily on the NAD salvage pathway and the enzyme nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT) to maintain their energy supply. The primary objective of the researchers is to exploit this metabolic vulnerability to selectively target and weaken aggressive cancer stem cells while sparing healthy blood-forming stem cells, which possess greater metabolic flexibility and can adapt when NAMPT is inhibited. The study highlights that blocking NAMPT creates a severe energy crisis in malignant MDS stem cells, reducing the population of cells responsible for driving disease progression into acute myeloid leukemia (AML), thus offering a promising therapeutic strategy for older adults affected by high-risk MDS. Future directions involve advancing these preclinical findings by evaluating NAMPT-targeting drugs in clinical trials for patients with MDS and related blood cancers, paving the way for more precise and effective cancer treatments.