title: Targeting Glutamine Induces Apoptosis: A Cancer Therapy Approach.
abstract: Glutamine metabolism has been proved to be dysregulated in many cancer cells, and is essential for proliferation of most cancer cells, which makes glutamine an appealing target for cancer therapy. In order to be well used by cells, glutamine must be transported to cells by specific transporters and converted to glutamate by glutaminase. There are currently several drugs that target glutaminase under development or clinical trials. Also, glutamine metabolism restriction has been proved to be effective in inhibiting tumor growth both in vivo and vitro through inducing apoptosis, growth arrest and/or autophagy. Here, we review recent researches about glutamine metabolism in cancer, and cell death induced by targeting glutamine, and their potential roles in cancer therapy.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Animal Diseases and Environmental Hazards of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agriculture University, Ya'an 625014, China. lianchen87@163.com.
authors.forename: Lian
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Animal Diseases and Environmental Hazards of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agriculture University, Ya'an 625014, China. cui580420@sicau.edu.cn.|College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya'an 625014, China. cui580420@sicau.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Hengmin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cui
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D005972:Glutaminase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005973:Glutamine / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D051793:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018631:ras Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D051793:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D005973:Glutamine; D005972:Glutaminase; D018631:ras Proteins
keywords: apoptosis; cancer; glutaminase; glutamine metabolism