title: Metabolic alterations in cancer cells and therapeutic implications.
abstract: Cancer metabolism has emerged as an important area of research in recent years. Elucidation of the metabolic differences between cancer and normal cells and the underlying mechanisms will not only advance our understanding of fundamental cancer cell biology but also provide an important basis for the development of new therapeutic strategies and novel compounds to selectively eliminate cancer cells by targeting their unique metabolism. This article reviews several important metabolic alterations in cancer cells, with an emphasis on increased aerobic glycolysis (the Warburg effect) and glutamine addiction, and discusses the mechanisms that may contribute to such metabolic changes. In addition, metabolic alterations in cancer stem cells, mitochondrial metabolism and its influence on drug sensitivity, and potential therapeutic strategies and agents that target cancer metabolism are also discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.
authors.forename: Naima
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hammoudi
authors.forename: Kausar Begam Riaz
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.forename: Celia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Garcia-Prieto
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; D016147:Genes, Tumor Suppressor / Q000502:physiology; D005973:Glutamine / Q000378:metabolism*; D006019:Glycolysis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D009154:Mutation; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D009857:Oncogenes / Q000502:physiology; D010085:Oxidative Phosphorylation
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D005973:Glutamine