Metabolic heterogeneity in cancer: An overview and therapeutic implications

• Published in: Biochimica et biophysica acta. Reviews on cancer Vol. 1874; no. 2; p. 188421
• Main Authors: Tong, Yu, Gao, Wei-Qiang, Liu, Yanfeng
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.12.2020
• Subjects: Cancer metabolism; Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts - metabolism; Disease Progression; Genetic Heterogeneity; Humans; Metabolic heterogeneity; Metabolic Networks and Pathways; Neoplasms - genetics; Neoplasms - metabolism; Tumor Microenvironment; Tumor microenvironment (TME); Cav-1; OXPHOS; IDH; RNI; HK2; CTGF; GLS; HMGR; IRG1; Cancer metabolism; PFK; IDO; oxPTMs; PAI-1; SCD1; CSCs; PDK1; FOXO; IL; SREBP; ARG1; ACAT1/SOAT1; CAD; EMT; ER; PGC; mHK; 1C; BCAAs; TCA; ROS; Metabolic heterogeneity; AMPK; ULK1; mTORC1; PD-1; ATF3; NADPH; NO; TCR; MAX; TIICs; YAP; SLC1A4; SLC1A5; α-KGDH; EAAs; LDH; TPO; CAFs; TAMs; DCs; PDH; MXI1; PD-L1; miRNA; TGF-β; FoxP3; GSH; CTCs; TRXR; Tumor microenvironment (TME); GSM; ACC; MSF; HIF; PEITC; GLUT; PKM2; BNIP3; SIAH2; Tregs; MGD; TME; ECM; VEGFA; A2b; MDSCs; ETC; FAO; FASN; FAS; TADCs; ATP; PET; MCT
• ISSN: 0304-419X; 1879-2561; 1879-2561
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2020.188421

Recent research on cancer metabolism has revealed that individual tumors have highly heterogeneous metabolic profiles that contribute to the connective metabolic networks within the tumor and its environment. Indeed, tumor-associated cells types, including tumor cells, cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and immune cells, reprogram their metabolism in many different ways due to diverse genetic backgrounds and complex environmental stimuli. This intratumoral metabolic heterogeneity and the derived metabolic interactions play an instrumental role in cancer progression. Understanding how this heterogeneity occurs may provide promising therapeutic strategies. Here, we review the diverse metabolic profiles of several important cell subpopulations in tumors and their impact on tumor progression and discuss the consequent metabolic interactions as well as the related therapeutic concerns.