The acetyl-CoA carboxylase enzyme: a target for cancer therapy?

Abstract

As a rate-limiting enzyme, the acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) is essential for fatty acid synthesis. Traditionally, the ACC has been a target of metabolic syndrome and obesity. Recent research has demonstrated that malignant tumors have a high energy flow, thus having a great ability to synthesize fatty acids. ACCs are occasionally found to be overexpressed in cancer cells, and using chemical or RNA interference to inhibit ACC can lead to cancer cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. This suggests that ACC and relative fatty acids may be critical for the survival of cancer cells. In this review, we summarize the role of ACC in tumor development. We also discuss the signaling pathways possibly affected by ACC, which may give insight into future research for cancer therapy.

Keywords: acetyl-CoA carboxylase; cell cycle; cell signaling; fatty acids synthesis; tumor metabolism.