title: Targeting Cancer Metabolism - Revisiting the Warburg Effects.
abstract: After more than half of century since the Warburg effect was described, this atypical metabolism has been standing true for almost every type of cancer, exhibiting higher glycolysis and lactate metabolism and defective mitochondrial ATP production. This phenomenon had attracted many scientists to the problem of elucidating the mechanism of, and reason for, this effect. Several models based on oncogenic studies have been proposed, such as the accumulation of mitochondrial gene mutations, the switch from oxidative phosphorylation respiration to glycolysis, the enhancement of lactate metabolism, and the alteration of glycolytic genes. Whether the Warburg phenomenon is the consequence of genetic dysregulation in cancer or the cause of cancer remains unknown. Moreover, the exact reasons and physiological values of this peculiar metabolism in cancer remain unclear. Although there are some pharmacological compounds, such as 2-deoxy-D-glucose, dichloroacetic acid, and 3-bromopyruvate, therapeutic strategies, including diet, have been developed based on targeting the Warburg effect. In this review, we will revisit the Warburg effect to determine how much scientists currently understand about this phenomenon and how we can treat the cancer based on targeting metabolism.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Medical Science, Metabolic Diseases and Cell Signaling Laboratory, Research Institute for Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, Korea.
authors.forename: Quangdon
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Tran
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Medical Science, Metabolic Diseases and Cell Signaling Laboratory, Research Institute for Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, Korea.
authors.forename: Hyunji
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Medical Science, Metabolic Diseases and Cell Signaling Laboratory, Research Institute for Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, Korea.
authors.forename: Jisoo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Institute for Cancer Research, College of Medicine, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, Korea.
authors.forename: Seon-Hwan
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Medical Science, Metabolic Diseases and Cell Signaling Laboratory, Research Institute for Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, Korea.
authors.forename: Jongsun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Park
keywords: Cancer metabolism; Energy metabolism; Mitochondria; Warburg effects