Analysis and modeling of metabolism of cancer

Abstract

Metabolism comprises a set of chemical reactions that are performed in biological systems in order to sustain life. Metabolism is responsible for deriving energy and biomolecules from the cells’ surrounding. Tumour cells’ very high metabolic needs have to be fulfilled under suboptimal conditions. Thus, tumour cells and tissues have a remarkably different metabolism than the tissues that they derive from. Many key oncogenic signaling pathways converge to create this change in order to support growth and survival of cancer cells. Some of these metabolic alterations are initiated by oncogenes and are required for malignant transformation. Altered metabolism allows cancer cells to sustain higher proliferative rates with faster energy and molecular building block production while resisting cell death signals particularly those that are mediated by increased oxidative damage. The very specific metabolic phenotype of cancer provides an interesting avenue for diagnosis and treatment and several examples of such applications are already in place. Novel methods for metabolic profiling, comprised under the term metabolomics, provide tools for collection of data on cancer cell and tissue’s metabolic properties in steady state and as a function of time and/or treatment. The time, i.e. flux data can provide components for creation of more detailed kinetic models of metabolic processes in cancer leading to more information about possible markers as well as platforms for in silico treatment testing. Once a more detailed understanding of the characteristics of cancer metabolism including energy and biomolecules production is in place, further clinical developments will follow.