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Otto Warburg's discovery in the 1920s that tumor cells took up more glucose and produced more lactate than normal cells provided the first clues that cancer cells reprogrammed their metabolism. For many years, however, it was unclear as to whether these metabolic alterations were a consequence of tumor growth or an adaptation that provided a survival advantage to these cells. In more recent years, interest in the metabolic differences in cancer cells has surged, as tumor proliferation and survival have been shown to be dependent upon these metabolic changes. In this educational review, we discuss some of the mechanisms that tumor cells use for reprogramming their metabolism to provide the energy and nutrients that they need for quick or sustained proliferation and discuss the potential for therapeutic targeting of these pathways to improve patient outcomes.

Original publication

DOI

10.14694/EDBK_175561

Type

Journal article

Journal

Am Soc Clin Oncol Educ Book

Publication Date

2017

Volume

37

Pages

825 - 832

Keywords

Cell Proliferation, Cellular Reprogramming, Energy Metabolism, Humans, Metabolic Networks and Pathways, Neoplasms