The Biology of Cancer: Metabolic Reprogramming Fuels Cell Growth and Proliferation

Ralph J. DeBerardinis, Julian J. Lum, Georgia Hatzivassiliou, Craig B. Thompson

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

3096 Scopus citations

Abstract

Cell proliferation requires nutrients, energy, and biosynthetic activity to duplicate all macromolecular components during each passage through the cell cycle. It is therefore not surprising that metabolic activities in proliferating cells are fundamentally different from those in nonproliferating cells. This review examines the idea that several core fluxes, including aerobic glycolysis, de novo lipid biosynthesis, and glutamine-dependent anaplerosis, form a stereotyped platform supporting proliferation of diverse cell types. We also consider regulation of these fluxes by cellular mediators of signal transduction and gene expression, including the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt/mTOR system, hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1), and Myc, during physiologic cell proliferation and tumorigenesis.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)11-20
Number of pages10
JournalCell Metabolism
Volume7
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 9 2008

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Physiology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Cell Biology

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