Endothelial Cell Metabolism in Health and Disease

Abstract

The metabolism of endothelial cells (ECs) has only recently been recognized as a driving force of angiogenesis. Metabolic pathways, such as glycolysis, fatty acid oxidation, and glutamine metabolism, have distinct, essential roles during vessel formation. Moreover, EC metabolism is markedly perturbed in pathologies such as cancer and diabetes. For instance, because tumor ECs increase glycolysis, lowering hyperglycolysis in tumor ECs induces therapeutic benefits in preclinical tumor models. Expanding our knowledge of how ECs alter their metabolism in disease could pave the way for novel therapeutic opportunities. In this review, we discuss the most recent insights into EC metabolism in health and disease, with emphasis on the changes in metabolism in the tumor endothelium.

Keywords: angiogenesis; cell metabolism; endothelium; tumor endothelial cells.