Principles of the warburg effect and cancer cell metabolism

Abstract

The implication of cancer metabolism is gaining recent interest in cancer research after nearly nine decades since Dr. Otto Warburg first discovered the differing metabolic pathway of cancer cells. His early observations established that in contrast to normal cellular metabolism, most cancer cells rely on aerobic glycolysis. Although aerobic glycolysis is inefficient with respect to production of ATP it may provide a selective advantage for cancer cells producing glycolytic intermediates to support cell growth and division. It is becoming evident that genetic alterations associated with cancer have a role to play in aberrant cellular metabolism. In this chapter we discuss the current concepts of cancer metabolism and the relationship to tumor suppressor genes and oncogenes. The widespread recognition of the complex interplay between genetic alterations, cellular metabolism, and the tumor microenvironment could establish a framework for exploitable cancer therapies and potential targets of therapeutic intervention. In this chapter we outline these prospects.