Dysregulated Metabolism in Cancer

Abstract

Metabolism describes the cellular bioenergetic pathways that provide energy and macromolecules for protein, lipid, and nucleic acid syntheses. In cancer, malignant cells alter the metabolic pathways to acquire nutrients needed for proliferation and survival. The various metabolic modifications exhibited by cancer cells include aerobic glycolysis, decreased oxidative phosphorylation, and elevated production of biosynthetic intermediates. To support the increasing need for these metabolic modifications, cancer cells increase the expressions of plasma membrane transporters and enzymes involved in the metabolic pathways. Additionally, some cancer cells escape chemotherapy treatment by reprogramming their metabolic activities. This chemotherapy-induced resistance mechanism allows malignant cells to promote their survival as well as to provide defense against cell damage by engaging various metabolic shunt pathways. Therefore, understanding metabolic reprogramming in cancer may provide useful information that can further be exploited to strategize potential treatment interventions and subsequently foster better outcomes among patients with cancer.