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Review
. 2016 Sep 15;129(18):3367-73.
doi: 10.1242/jcs.181016.

Cancer metabolism at a glance

Alexei Vazquez  1 , Jurre J Kamphorst  2 , Elke K Markert  2 , Zachary T Schug  1 , Saverio Tardito  1 , Eyal Gottlieb  3
Affiliations
Review

Cancer metabolism at a glance

Alexei Vazquez et al. J Cell Sci. .

Abstract

A defining hallmark of cancer is uncontrolled cell proliferation. This is initiated once cells have accumulated alterations in signaling pathways that control metabolism and proliferation, wherein the metabolic alterations provide the energetic and anabolic demands of enhanced cell proliferation. How these metabolic requirements are satisfied depends, in part, on the tumor microenvironment, which determines the availability of nutrients and oxygen. In this Cell Science at a Glance paper and the accompanying poster, we summarize our current understanding of cancer metabolism, emphasizing pathways of nutrient utilization and metabolism that either appear or have been proven essential for cancer cells. We also review how this knowledge has contributed to the development of anticancer therapies that target cancer metabolism.

Keywords: Cancer; Metabolism; Targeted therapy.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests

Eyal Gottlieb is a shareholder and consultant at MetabMed Ltd, Israel.

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