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Review
. 2016 Apr;590(7):885-907.
doi: 10.1002/1873-3468.12121. Epub 2016 Mar 22.

Attacking the supply wagons to starve cancer cells to death

Elizabeth M Selwan  1 , Brendan T Finicle  1 , Seong M Kim  1 , Aimee L Edinger  1
Affiliations
Review

Attacking the supply wagons to starve cancer cells to death

Elizabeth M Selwan et al. FEBS Lett. 2016 Apr.

Abstract

The constitutive anabolism of cancer cells not only supports proliferation but also addicts tumor cells to a steady influx of exogenous nutrients. Limiting access to metabolic substrates could be an effective and selective means to block cancer growth. In this review, we define the pathways by which cancer cells acquire the raw materials for anabolism, highlight the actionable proteins in each pathway, and discuss the status of therapeutic interventions that disrupt nutrient acquisition. Critical open questions to be answered before apical metabolic inhibitors can be successfully and safely deployed in the clinic are also outlined. In summary, recent studies provide strong support that substrate limitation is a powerful therapeutic strategy to effectively, and safely, starve cancer cells to death.

Keywords: autophagy; cancer; macropinocytosis; metabolism; nutrient transporter; sphingolipid.

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