c-Myc and cancer metabolism.
The processes of cellular growth regulation and cellular metabolism are closely interrelated. The c-Myc oncogene is a "master regulator" which controls many aspects of both of these processes. The metabolic changes which occur in transformed cells, many of which are driven by c-Myc overexpression, are necessary to support the increased need for nucleic acids, proteins, and lipids necessary for rapid cellular proliferation. At the same time, c-Myc overexpression results in coordinated changes in level of expression of gene families which result in increased cellular proliferation. This interesting duality of c-Myc effects places it in the mainstream of transformational changes and gives it a very important role in regulating the "transformed phenotype." The effects induced by c-Myc can occur either as a "primary oncogene" which is activated by amplification or translocation or as a downstream effect of other activated oncogenes. In either case, it appears that c-Myc plays a central role in sustaining the changes which occur with transformation. Although efforts to use c-Myc as a therapeutic target have been quite frustrating, it appears that this may change in the next few years.
James Graham Brown Cancer Center, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, Kentucky 40202, USA. donaldmi@ulh.org
Donald M
DM
Miller
Shelia D
SD
Thomas
Ashraful
A
Islam
David
D
Muench
Kara
K
Sedoris
D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D005973:Glutamine / Q000378:metabolism; D006019:Glycolysis; D006801:Humans; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000378:metabolism; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc; D005973:Glutamine