Mitochondria as biosynthetic factories for cancer proliferation

Unchecked growth and proliferation is a hallmark of cancer, and numerous oncogenic mutations reprogram cellular metabolism to fuel these processes. As a central metabolic organelle, mitochondria execute critical biochemical functions for the synthesis of fundamental cellular components, including fa...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inCancer & metabolism Vol. 3; no. 1; p. 1
Main Authors Ahn, Christopher S, Metallo, Christian M
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published England BioMed Central Ltd 25.01.2015
BioMed Central
Subjects
Amino acids
Biosynthesis
Cancer
Development and progression
Fatty acids
Genetic aspects
Health aspects
Nucleotides
Physiological aspects
Review
Mitochondria
Amino acids
Biosynthesis
Nucleotides
Lipogenesis
Anaplerosis
Cancer
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Summary:Unchecked growth and proliferation is a hallmark of cancer, and numerous oncogenic mutations reprogram cellular metabolism to fuel these processes. As a central metabolic organelle, mitochondria execute critical biochemical functions for the synthesis of fundamental cellular components, including fatty acids, amino acids, and nucleotides. Despite the extensive interest in the glycolytic phenotype of many cancer cells, tumors contain fully functional mitochondria that support proliferation and survival. Furthermore, tumor cells commonly increase flux through one or more mitochondrial pathways, and pharmacological inhibition of mitochondrial metabolism is emerging as a potential therapeutic strategy in some cancers. Here, we review the biosynthetic roles of mitochondrial metabolism in tumors and highlight specific cancers where these processes are activated.
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ISSN:2049-3002
2049-3002
DOI:10.1186/s40170-015-0128-2