Cited by 303Cancer, Lipids, and MetabolismCancer, Hypoxia, and MetabolismMetabolism, Diabetes, and Cancer

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 200 of the 200 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.

Acetyl-CoA metabolism in cancer

Open access

Guertin, David A., Wellen, Kathryn E.·2023·Nature Reviews Cancer

DOI 10.1038/s41568-022-00543-5PMC PMC11137663

Open this paper in CoChat — free account Open PDF

Abstract

Few metabolites can claim a more central and versatile role in cell metabolism than acetyl coenzyme A (acetyl-CoA). Acetyl-CoA is produced during nutrient catabolism to fuel the tricarboxylic acid cycle and is the essential building block for fatty acid and isoprenoid biosynthesis. It also functions as a signalling metabolite as the substrate for lysine acetylation reactions, enabling the modulation of protein functions in response to acetyl-CoA availability. Recent years have seen exciting advances in our understanding of acetyl-CoA metabolism in normal physiology and in cancer, buoyed by new mouse models, in vivo stable-isotope tracing approaches and improved methods for measuring acetyl-CoA, including in specific subcellular compartments. Efforts to target acetyl-CoA metabolic enzymes are also advancing, with one therapeutic agent targeting acetyl-CoA synthesis receiving approval from the US Food and Drug Administration. In this Review, we give an overview of the regulation and cancer relevance of major metabolic pathways in which acetyl-CoA participates. We further discuss recent advances in understanding acetyl-CoA metabolism in normal tissues and tumours and the potential for targeting these pathways therapeutically. We conclude with a commentary on emerging nodes of acetyl-CoA metabolism that may impact cancer biology. Acetyl coenzyme A (acetyl-CoA) is a key metabolite in carbohydrate and lipid metabolism and plays a role in signalling through protein acetylation, and the dysregulation of these pathways is a hallmark of various cancers. In this Review, Guertin and Wellen give an overview of acetyl-CoA metabolism in health and in cancer and discuss emerging therapeutic strategies for targeting metabolic pathways involving acetyl-CoA.

The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.

Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1038/s41568-022-00543-5

Cites

200 of 200 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Claims the paper makes

The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.

Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.

Claims other papers make about this one

Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?

Self-check

Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.

The self-check needs the paper’s full text.

GEPIA: a web server for cancer and normal gene expression profiling and interactive analyses
Tang, Z., Li, C., Kang, B., Gao, G., Li, C., & Zhang, Z. (2017) · Nucleic Acids Research · doi:10.1093/nar/gkx247 · Cited by 9,849
Ferroptosis: mechanisms, biology and role in disease
Jiang, X., Stockwell, B. R., & Conrad, M. (2021) · Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology · doi:10.1038/s41580-020-00324-8 · Cited by 7,973
Ferroptosis: A Regulated Cell Death Nexus Linking Metabolism, Redox Biology, and Disease
Stockwell, B. R., Friedmann Angeli, J. P., Bayir, H., Bush, A. I., Conrad, M., Dixon, S. J., Fulda, S., Gascón, S., Hatzios, S. K., Kagan, V. E., et al. (2017) · Cell · doi:10.1016/j.cell.2017.09.021 · Cited by 7,695
The CoQ oxidoreductase FSP1 acts parallel to GPX4 to inhibit ferroptosis
Bersuker, K., Hendricks, J. M., Li, Z., Magtanong, L., Ford, B., Tang, P. H., Roberts, M. A., Tong, B., Maimone, T. J., Zoncu, R., et al. (2019) · Nature · doi:10.1038/s41586-019-1705-2 · Cited by 3,703
ATP-citrate lyase links cellular metabolism to histone acetylation
Wellen, K. E., Hatzivassiliou, G., Sachdeva, U. M., Bui, T. V., Cross, J. R., & Thompson, C. B. (2009) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.1164097 · Cited by 2,298
Self-citation
Targeting Ferroptosis as a Vulnerability in Cancer
Lei, G., Zhuang, L., & Gan, B. (2022) · Nature reviews. Cancer · doi:10.1038/s41568-022-00459-0 · Cited by 2,252
Posttranscriptional Control of T Cell Effector Function by Aerobic Glycolysis
Chang, C.-H., Curtis, J. D., Maggi, L. B., Faubert, B., Villarino, A. V., O’Sullivan, D., Huang, S. C.-C., van der Windt, G. J. W., Blagih, J., Qiu, J., et al. (2013) · Cell · doi:10.1016/j.cell.2013.05.016 · Cited by 2,204
Cellular Fatty Acid Metabolism and Cancer
Currie, E., Schulze, A., Zechner, R., Walther, T. C., & Farese, R. V. (2013) · Cell Metabolism · doi:10.1016/j.cmet.2013.05.017 · Cited by 2,123
DHODH-mediated ferroptosis defence is a targetable vulnerability in cancer
Mao, C., Liu, X., Zhang, Y., Lei, G., Yan, Y., Lee, H., Koppula, P., Wu, S., Zhuang, L., Fang, B., et al. (2021) · Nature · doi:10.1038/s41586-021-03539-7 · Cited by 2,028
Activation of a metabolic gene regulatory network downstream of mTOR complex 1
Düvel, K., Yecies, J. L., Menon, S., Raman, P., Lipovsky, A. I., Souza, A. L., Triantafellow, E., Ma, Q., Gorski, R., Cleaver, S., et al. (2010) · Molecular Cell · doi:10.1016/j.molcel.2010.06.022 · Cited by 2,020

Show all 200 references

Sorted by citations

Items 101–200 of 301

The small extracellular vesicle‐mediated intercellular transformation of CXCR1Low to CXCR1High tumour cells promotes the progression of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma
Xu, Q., Cheng, A., Li, B., Tian, X., Han, Z., & Feng, Z. (2024) · Journal of Extracellular Vesicles · doi:10.1002/jev2.12427 · Cited by 11
“In the metabolic process, acetyl CoA is the major substrate of lipid synthesis (Guertin & Wellen, 2023).”
Background
Integration of transcriptomics and metabolomics reveal cytotoxic mechanisms of Polyethylene terephthalate microplastics in BEAS-2B cells
Chu, J., Yang, Y., Zhang, K., Fu, Y., & Yuan, B. (2024) · Food and Chemical Toxicology · doi:10.1016/j.fct.2024.115125 · Cited by 12
A feedforward loop between ACLY and MYC supports T-ALL progression in vivo
da Silva-Diz, V., Singh, A., Aleksandrova, M., Kim, O., Thai, C., Lancho, O., Nunes, P. R., Affronti, H. C., de Paz, A. M., Josefowicz, S. Z., et al. (2025) · Blood Neoplasia · doi:10.1016/j.bneo.2025.100069 · Cited by 12
“7 Because both metabolic and epigenetic mechanisms of resistance to NOTCH1 inhibition in T-ALL have been previously described, 5,8,13 our ﬁ ndings suggested a potential role for ACLY in response to NOTCH1 inhibition and, more broadly, as a relevant player in T-ALL.”
Self-citation
Nuclear mitochondrial acetyl-CoA acetyltransferase 1 orchestrates natural killer cell-dependent antitumor immunity in colorectal cancer
Chen, W., Liao, K., Chen, H., Xiao, Z.-X., Meng, Q., Liu, Z., Lu, Y., Sheng, H., Mo, H., Wu, Q.-N., et al. (2025) · Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy · doi:10.1038/s41392-025-02221-y · Cited by 13
“Considering that histone acetylation is highly sensitive to acetyl-CoA availability, 40,41 we assumed that global histone H2B, H3, and H4 acetylation might be affected.”
Dissecting inflammation in the immunemetabolomic era
Ogger, P. P., & Murray, P. J. (2025) · Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences · doi:10.1007/s00018-025-05715-8 · Cited by 13
Metabolism of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors: what can omics tell us?
Jannin, A., Dessein, A., Cao, C. D., Vantyghem, M., Chevalier, B., SEUNINGEN, I. V., Jonckheere, N., & Coppin, L. (2023) · Frontiers in Endocrinology · doi:10.3389/fendo.2023.1248575 · Cited by 12
“In challenging microenvironment conditions, such as those in oncogenesis, acetyl-CoA upregulates fatty acid synthesis to create favorable conditions for cell survival, proliferation, metastasis, and stress resistance (40, 47).”
Background
Unpacking the complexity of nuclear IL-33 (nIL-33): a crucial regulator of transcription and signal transduction
Wang, Z., & Tang, N. (2023) · Journal of Cell Communication and Signaling · doi:10.1007/s12079-023-00788-1 · Cited by 12
“Another important modification is acetylation, which involves the addition of an acetyl group to a lysine residue within the protein (Ashton et al. 2022 ; Guertin and Wellen 2023).”
Background
Prostate Cancer and the Mevalonate Pathway
Guerrero‐Ochoa, P., Rodríguez-Zapater, S., Anel, A., Esteban, L. M., Camón-Fernández, A., Espílez, R., Gil‐Sanz, M. J., & Borque‐Fernando, Á. (2024) · International Journal of Molecular Sciences · doi:10.3390/ijms25042152 · Cited by 14
Pyrimidine synthesis enzyme CTP synthetase 1 suppresses antiviral interferon induction by deamidating IRF3
Rao, Y., Qin, C., Savas, A. C., Liu, Q., Feng, S., Hou, G., Xie, T., & Feng, P. (2024) · Immunity · doi:10.1016/j.immuni.2024.11.020 · Cited by 10
Radiotherapy-induced alterations in tumor microenvironment: metabolism and immunity
Chen, J., Wang, S., Ding, Y., Duo, X., & Zheng, S. (2025) · Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology · doi:10.3389/fcell.2025.1568634 · Cited by 13
Growth Signaling Networks Orchestrate Cancer Metabolic NetworksPreprint
Manning, B. D., & Dibble, C. C. (2024) · Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Medicine · doi:10.1101/cshperspect.a041543 · Cited by 11
Cellular pan-chain acyl-CoA profiling reveals SLC25A42/SLC25A16 in mitochondrial CoA import and metabolism
Liu, R., Zhang, Z., Kyaw, A., Grabińska, K. A., Shah, H., & Shen, H. (2025) · Nature Metabolism · doi:10.1038/s42255-025-01358-y · Cited by 11
Tumor Metabolism: A New Field for the Treatment of Glioma
Chai, X., Zhang, Y., Zhang, W., Feng, K., Jiang, Y., Zhu, A., Chen, X., Di, L., & Wang, R. (2024) · Bioconjugate Chemistry · doi:10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.4c00287 · Cited by 10
Study on the Material Basis and Mechanisms of Achyrocline satureioides in the Treatment of Nonsmall Cell Lung Cancer Based on Network Pharmacology and Spatial Metabolomics
Shen, D., Min, J., Chen, J., Yan, D., Han, J., Liu, H., Xi, Y., Nie, Z., & Li, B. (2025) · Analytical Chemistry · doi:10.1021/acs.analchem.4c06682 · Cited by 10
KRAS G12V mutation-selective requirement for ACSS2 in colorectal adenoma formation
Budagyan, K., Cannon, A. C., Chatoff, A. G., Benton, D., Kurimchak, A., Araiza‐Olivera, D., Gerasimova, A., Snyder, N. W., Duncan, J. S., Uribe‐Alvarez, C., et al. (2025) · Cell Reports · doi:10.1016/j.celrep.2025.115444 · Cited by 11
TCA cycle mode switch determines the fate of pirtobrutinib-tolerant persister cells in mantle cell lymphoma
Wang, W., Cai, Q., Liu, Y., Nie, L., Lee, H., Yan, F., Fei, Y., Yao, Y., Li, Y., Tan, L., et al. (2025) · Blood · doi:10.1182/blood.2024026919 · Cited by 10
Activation of epigenetic reprogramming via crotonylation overcomes resistance to EGFR-TKI therapy in lung cancer
Chen, S., Zhong, M., Wang, X., Su, Y., Zhao, Y., Wang, S., Liu, S., Zhao, Y., Zhang, Y., Fan, X., et al. (2025) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.2509255122 · Cited by 10
Functions of Coenzyme A and Acyl-CoA in Post-Translational Modification and Human Disease
Xie, J., Zhang, Y., Zhu, Y., Zheng, M., & Zhu, Y. P. (2024) · Frontiers in Bioscience-Landmark · doi:10.31083/j.fbl2909331 · Cited by 10
Metabolic Reprogramming and Adaption in Breast Cancer Progression and Metastasis
Zuo, Q., & Kang, Y. (2025) · Advances in experimental medicine and biology · doi:10.1007/978-3-031-70875-6_17 · Cited by 9
Mechanisms underlying the chronic toxicity of ofloxacin to Daphnia magna: Oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and energy allocation
Zhang, Y., Tian, X., Li, H., Zhang, Y., Zhang, Y., Chen, M., Ni, Z., Gu, J., Tang, T., Xie, S., et al. (2025) · Environmental Pollution · doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2025.126764 · Cited by 10
Metabolism and epigenetics in cancer: toward personalized treatment
Zhang, X., Liu, D., Yin, S., Gao, Y., Li, X., & Wu, G. (2025) · Frontiers in Endocrinology · doi:10.3389/fendo.2025.1530578 · Cited by 10
“Acetyl CoA is produced during the metabolism of sugars, lipids, and proteins, and is involved in energy production, biosynthesis, and epigenetic regulation (59).”
Cancer Metabolism under Limiting Oxygen ConditionsPreprint
Kim, L. C., Lesner, N. P., & Simon, M. C. (2023) · Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Medicine · doi:10.1101/cshperspect.a041542 · Cited by 11
A multi-omics exploration of PPARG activation in colon cancer: kinases featuring a PPRE sequence within regulatory regions
Saha, P., Ravanan, P., & Talwar, P. (2025) · Biology Direct · doi:10.1186/s13062-025-00654-7 · Cited by 8
“Pyru-vate is transported into the mitochondria, where it is converted to acetyl-CoA, NADH, and CO 2 through oxidative decarboxylation [58, 59].”
Topology scaffolds-enhanced paracrine of BMSCs through mechanotransduction-related metabolism reprogramming for burn wounds healing
Zhang, Q., Li, J., Jia, J., He, S., Mei, A., Zhang, Z., Cao, Y., Zhang, X., Zhang, Y., Li, Z., et al. (2025) · Biomaterials · doi:10.1016/j.biomaterials.2025.123518 · Cited by 8
ACSL5 regulated acetyl-CoA to promote bladder cancer cellular senescence via 53BP1 acetylation
Luo, Y., Zeng, Y., Liu, Y., Liu, S., Dai, Y., Pan, W., Zhang, L., Zhu, R., Feng, D., Du, K., et al. (2025) · Oncogene · doi:10.1038/s41388-025-03474-1 · Cited by 10
“Acetyl-CoA, an important substrate for protein acetylation, in ﬂ uences tumor development by promoting protein acetylation [13, 14].”
Qidong Huoxue decoction protects against acute lung injury by promoting SIRT1-mediated p300 deacetylation
Zhao, Y., Shen, X. L., Li, N., Huang, W., Li, X., Ye, Q., Ruan, Y., Li, R., Zhu, H., Xu, L., et al. (2025) · Phytomedicine · doi:10.1016/j.phymed.2025.157064 · Cited by 8
Rewiring lipid Metabolism: The central role of CPT1 in metabolic dysfunction
Ni, D., Liu, Y., Lin, X., Luo, M., Deng, C., Li, J., Liang, P., Liu, Z., & Jiang, B. (2025) · Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology · doi:10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2025.11.002 · Cited by 11
Crotonate suppresses breast cancer metastasis and promotes immunotherapy response by inducing ACSS2-mediated EZH2-K348 crotonylation
Liu, B., Duan, X., Wang, G., Tang, Y., Zhou, K., Zhang, J. Q., Yu, Y., & Zhang, H. (2026) · Science Advances · doi:10.1126/sciadv.aea9892 · Cited by 8
“Crotonyl-CoA can be synthesized from crotonate by ACSS2 ( 25 ).”
Lamin A/C-regulated cysteine catabolic flux modulates stem cell fate through epigenome reprogramming
Wang, Y., Shi, H., Wittig, J., Ren, Y., Cordero, J., Dewenter, M., Mella, J., Buchwalter, A. L., Backs, J., Wieland, T., et al. (2026) · Nature Metabolism · doi:10.1038/s42255-025-01443-2 · Cited by 8
“This increased acetyl-CoA could freely diffuse through the nuclear envelope 67 and target histone residues, potentially influencing histone acetylation, chromatin structure and gene regulation.”
The pathological significance and potential mechanism of ACLY in cholangiocarcinoma
Sun, X., Zhao, X., Wang, S., Liu, Q., Wei, W., Xu, J., Wang, H., & Yang, W. (2024) · Frontiers in Immunology · doi:10.3389/fimmu.2024.1477267 · Cited by 7
“Besides, acetyl-CoA is involved in the acetylation of proteins (10, 11).”
Background
DNMT2‐m5C‐ACLY Axis Promotes Lenvatinib Resistance in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Through Histone Acetylation‐Mediated Notch Pathway
Yang, S., Li, J., Mao, S., Zhao, X., Liu, D., Chen, J., Fu, J., Bu, Y., Wu, X., Liu, S., et al. (2025) · Advanced Science · doi:10.1002/advs.202515931 · Cited by 7
Mechanistically informed machine learning links non-canonical TCA cycle activity to Warburg metabolism and hallmarks of malignancy
Lihao, L., Francesco, L., Galuzzi, B. G., Vanoni, M., Alberghina, L., & Damiani, C. (2025) · PLoS Computational Biology · doi:10.1371/journal.pcbi.1013384 · Cited by 7
TMEM120A-mediated regulation of chemotherapy sensitivity in colorectal cancer cells
Wang, L., & Liu, X. (2023) · Cancer Chemotherapy and Pharmacology · doi:10.1007/s00280-023-04594-9 · Cited by 7
ScRNA-seq combined with ATAC-seq analysis to explore the metabolic balance mechanism of CCl4-induced liver inflammatory injury
Liu, H., Zhang, Y., & Ning, S. (2025) · Frontiers in Immunology · doi:10.3389/fimmu.2025.1600685 · Cited by 6
“Previous study has shown that acetyl-CoA can act as a substrate for histone acetylation to promote oncogenesis (37).”
USP7-DDX5-FASN axis drives fatty acid metabolism and supports hepatocellular carcinoma progression
Wang, J., Zhou, L., Pan, Y., Cai, L., Huang, S., Yan, Z., Wang, H., Qi, G., & Gan, J. (2025) · Cellular Signalling · doi:10.1016/j.cellsig.2025.111947 · Cited by 6
Molecular mechanisms of cold stress-induced energy stress, cholesterol metabolic disorders, and apoptosis in Pangasianodon hypophthalmus
Wang, D., Li, M., Liao, M., Tian, Y., Wu, Q. P., Xie, S., Luo, W., Zou, J., Shi, J. Y., & Du, Z. (2025) · Aquaculture · doi:10.1016/j.aquaculture.2025.742886 · Cited by 6
Recent Progress in Exploring Dietary Nutrition and Dietary Patterns in Periodontitis with a Focus on SCFAs
Mao, J.-S., Cui, H.-Y., Zhou, X.-Z., & Zhang, S. (2025) · Nutrients · doi:10.3390/nu17193150 · Cited by 6
“SCFAs are produced via three main reductive paths The acetyl-CoA pathway is widespread and fuels peripheral tissues while serving as a carbon source for hepatic and osteoblastic lipogenesis [42].”
Glucose metabolism controls oxidative burst and lipid mediator production in neutrophils upon microbial challenge
Freitag, A., Günther, K., Prados, M. C., Hochrein, S. M., Schmitz, W., Sinning, K., Zischinsky, G., Klebl, B., Ohlsen, K., Morschhäuser, J., et al. (2025) · microLife · doi:10.1093/femsml/uqaf040 · Cited by 7
“This acetyl-CoA can be generated from mitochondrial citrate exported to the cytosol and subsequently converted to acetyl-CoA by ATP citrate lyase (Hochrein et al. 2022 , Guertin and Wellen 2023 ).”
Palmitate paves the way to lung metastasis
Winkelkotte, A. M., & Schulze, A. (2023) · Trends in cancer · doi:10.1016/j.trecan.2023.03.001 · Cited by 6
Metabolic insights into tumor pathogenesis: Unveiling pan‐cancer metabolism and the potential of untargeted metabolomics
Wang, T., & Gao, Y. (2023) · MedComm – Future Medicine · doi:10.1002/mef2.59 · Cited by 7
Decoding breast cancer treatment resistance through genetic, epigenetic, and immune-regulatory mechanisms: from molecular insights to translational perspectives
Saha, S., Mahapatra, S., Khanra, S., Mishra, B., Swain, B., Malhotra, D., Saha, S., Panda, V. K., Kumari, K., Jena, S., et al. (2025) · Cancer Drug Resistance · doi:10.20517/cdr.2025.69 · Cited by 9
ACLY promotes NK cell effector function by regulating glycolysis and histone acetylation
Sohn, H., Kolicheski, A., Poursine‐Laurent, J., Tran, J., Wang, Y., Gan, K., Tobin, J. M., Saucier, N., Fehniger, T. A., Payton, J. E., et al. (2025) · The Journal of Immunology · doi:10.1093/jimmun/vkaf209 · Cited by 6
Methods and Guidelines for Metabolism Studies: Applications to Cancer Research
Li, M., Amend, S. R., & Pienta, K. J. (2025) · International Journal of Molecular Sciences · doi:10.3390/ijms26178466 · Cited by 6
“Since cancer cells have been shown to alter lipid metabolism, histone acetylation, and mitochondrial metabolism, using sensors to track how acetyl-CoA play a role in these phenotypes in a spatiotemporal context can provide potential therapeutic targets [280,283].”
N -Acetyltransferase 2 Inhibits Myopia by Maintaining Mitochondrial Metabolism in Scleral Fibroblasts
Gong, W., Shen, Z. X., Zhao, L., Cheng, T., Zhang, B., Chen, J., Wang, J., Li, Z., Jian, X., Shi, Y., et al. (2025) · Research · doi:10.34133/research.0969 · Cited by 5
“It is well established that the homeostasis of acetyl-coenzyme A (CoA), a key substrate of the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, is closely related to the metabolic function of mitochondria [ 43 , 44 ].”
Synergistic regulation of DACH1 stability by acetylation and deubiquitination promotes colorectal cancer progression
Zhu, L. W., Cheng, C., Li, H., Liu, J., Wu, Y., Wu, L., & Yao, H. (2025) · Cell Death and Disease · doi:10.1038/s41419-025-07696-9 · Cited by 5
“GCN5-mediated acetylation of DACH1 at K680 increases its interaction with USP7 Acetylation, a critical lysine modi ﬁ cation, affects various biological processes, including protein-protein interactions and enzymatic activities of numerous proteins [24, 25].”
A contrast set mining based approach for cancer subtype analysis
Trasierras, A. M., Luna, J. M., & Ventura, S. (2023) · Artificial Intelligence in Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.artmed.2023.102590 · Cited by 5
The role of quercetin in modulating lipid metabolism and enhancing chemotherapy via the STAT3-CPT1B pathway in pancreatic cancer
Huang, X., Wen, Z., Cai, H., & Yu, D. (2025) · Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications · doi:10.1016/j.bbrc.2025.152033 · Cited by 4
Acetyl-CoA subcellular compartmentalization regulates T cell adaptation
Tiggeler, A., & Coffer, P. J. (2025) · Cellular Immunology · doi:10.1016/j.cellimm.2025.105000 · Cited by 4
ACACA depletion activates the cPLA2–arachidonic acid–NF-κB axis to drive inflammatory reprogramming in androgen receptor-independent prostate cancer
Liu, S., Chen, Y., Chen, J., Li, J., Liang, Z., Mei, X., Feng, Y., Han, Z., Jiang, F., Wu, Y., et al. (2025) · Cell Communication and Signaling · doi:10.1186/s12964-025-02363-0 · Cited by 4
“One of the most prominent metabolic features in prostate cancer is the activation of de novo fatty acid synthesis [2–4], in which acetyl-CoA carboxylase alpha (ACACA) serves as a key rate-limiting enzyme [5, 6].”
Asiatic acid inhibits endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition in diabetic kidney disease by reducing acetyl-CoA production via targeting ACSS2
Lin, R.-H., Chen, J., Xu, S., Xu, Y., Pan, K., Wang, L., Zhang, J., Yin, Z., & Huang, Y. (2025) · Biochemical Pharmacology · doi:10.1016/j.bcp.2025.117311 · Cited by 4
Cellular metabolism biosensing: From extracellular microenvironment to intracellular physiology monitoring
Liang, T., Gu, C., Fang, J., Xu, D., Wang, Z., Chiappini, C., & Hu, N. (2025) · Biosensors and Bioelectronics · doi:10.1016/j.bios.2025.118250 · Cited by 4
Catabolic rewiring in cancer impacts dietary interventions
Chinopoulos, C. (2025) · Communications Biology · doi:10.1038/s42003-025-09333-9 · Cited by 6
A review on squalene production by engineered yeasts: Current advances and perspectives
Hu, P.-C., Ding, L.-M., Zhao, Q.-Q., Tang, M.-C., Xiao, P.-F., Wang, C., Lu, X., Tian, Y., & Liu, H. (2025) · Biotechnology Advances · doi:10.1016/j.biotechadv.2025.108792 · Cited by 4
SLC7A2-Mediated Lysine Catabolism Inhibits Immunosuppression in Triple Negative Breast Cancer
Sun, Y., Li, Y., Jiang, C., Liu, C., & Song, Y. (2024) · Critical Reviews in Eukaryotic Gene Expression · doi:10.1615/critreveukaryotgeneexpr.2024052503 · Cited by 4
Identification of Novel Cyclobutane-Based Derivatives as Potent Acetyl-CoA Carboxylase Allosteric Inhibitors for Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis Drug Discovery
Wang, Y., Wang, H., Li, Q., Zhang, Y., Dai, R., Wu, J., Zhang, Y., Zhang, X., Zhao, L., & Liu, J. (2025) · Journal of Medicinal Chemistry · doi:10.1021/acs.jmedchem.5c00259 · Cited by 4
SIRT4 Controls Acetyl-CoA Synthesis to Promote Stemness and Invasiveness of Hepatocellular Carcinoma through Deacetylating MCCC2
Sun, T., Xu, C., Song, Q., Yang, X., An, G., Sun, G., & Zhang, Z. (2025) · International Journal of Biological Sciences · doi:10.7150/ijbs.99004 · Cited by 4
“It also serves as an essential signaling molecule that plays critical roles in gene expression, signaling, and other cellular processes by transfer of its acetyl group to both histone and non-histone proteins, and some metabolites in response to acetyl-CoA availability [1, 2].”
Acetate Administration Ameliorates Streptozotocin‐Induced Hyperglycemia and Adipose Tissue Loss
Zhang, C., Wang, Z., Luo, L., Liu, X., Jia, Z., & Zhang, Y. (2025) · The FASEB Journal · doi:10.1096/fj.202500776r · Cited by 4
“Insulin secretion after eating could directly activate de novo lipogenesis in adipose tissues [50], which converts glucose into acetyl-CoA as a building block for fatty acid synthesis [51].”
General toxicity and screening of reproductive and developmental toxicity following bioaccumulation of oral-dosed perfluorooctanoic acid: Loss of the Golgi apparatus
Jung, W., Park, H.-J., Lee, B., Chang, Y., Kim, J., Yang, M., Lim, J., Choi, H., & Park, E. (2024) · Food and Chemical Toxicology · doi:10.1016/j.fct.2024.114867 · Cited by 4
Augmented Acyl-CoA Biosynthesis Promotes Resistance to TEAD Palmitoylation Site Inhibition
Nutsch, K., Trujillo, M. N., Song, L., Erb, M. A., Chen, J. J., Galligan, J. J., & Bollong, M. J. (2025) · ACS Chemical Biology · doi:10.1021/acschembio.5c00162 · Cited by 4
OVOL1 Promotes Proliferation and Metastasis of Non‐Small Cell Lung Cancer by Regulating APOE ‐Mediated Cholesterol Metabolism
Feng, S., Zhang, L., Sun, T., Xu, L., Quan, X., Zhao, G., & Zhang, H. (2025) · Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine · doi:10.1111/jcmm.70634 · Cited by 3
“Meanwhile, 3- hydroxy- 3- methylglutaryl-CoA synthase (HMGCS), catalysing the conversion of acetyl-CoA to HMG-CoA, is instrumental in the cholesterol synthesis pathway [19].”
Single-cell imaging of liver metabolic dynamics using fluorescent biosensors
Pérez-Chávez, I., Gilglioni, E. H., Ezeriņa, D., Messens, J., & Gurzov, E. N. (2025) · Trends in Endocrinology and Metabolism · doi:10.1016/j.tem.2025.10.003 · Cited by 4
Cancer Stem Cells Shift Metabolite Acetyl‐Coenzyme A to Abrogate the Differentiation of CD103 + T Cells
Lei, J., Ji, H., Guo, J., Liu, M., Su, D., Zheng, Y., Xu, L., Cao, Q., Ren, T., Gui, J., et al. (2025) · Advanced Science · doi:10.1002/advs.202513535 · Cited by 3
Mitochondrial citrate transport represents a metabolic liability in MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma
Chen, C., Bao, Q., Huang, H., Wang, L., Jiang, J., Liu, H., Wang, Y., Qing, G., & Fang, Y. (2026) · Molecular Therapy · doi:10.1016/j.ymthe.2025.12.061 · Cited by 3
Purinosomes and mitochondria: Dynamic interactomes at the crossroads of metabolism, cell structure, and disease
Mancini, A., Betterini, E., Bordi, M., & Cecconi, F. (2026) · Pharmacological Research · doi:10.1016/j.phrs.2026.108096 · Cited by 3
The impact of epigenetics on tumor metabolism: Friend or foe in drug response?
Castelli, S., Franchini, M., Ferraro, L., & Mangraviti, N. (2026) · Frontiers in Epigenetics and Epigenomics · doi:10.3389/freae.2026.1755829 · Cited by 3
Modulating the gut-reproductive tract axis: microbial influence on gynaecological cancer pathogenesis and treatment
Chen, X., Zuo, Z., Xiao, B., & Zhao, F. (2026) · Gut · doi:10.1136/gutjnl-2025-337778 · Cited by 4
Acetyl-CoA metabolism in skeletal biology and bone disorders: From mechanisms to therapeutic implications
Yang, Q., Shi, R., Zhang, C. H. I., Sun, W., & Chen, G. (2026) · Pharmacological Research · doi:10.1016/j.phrs.2026.108346 · Cited by 3
LncRNA TINCR: An Irreplaceable Biological Target in Human Malignancies
Jia, D., He, Y., & Zhang, Y. (2024) · Current Medicinal Chemistry · doi:10.2174/0109298673290217240513093711 · Cited by 3
Biosynthesis-Encoded Lipogenic Acetyl-CoA Measurement Using NMR Reveals Glucose-Driven Lipogenesis and Glutamine’s Alternative Roles in Kidney Cancer
Jo, S., Seo, M., Nguyen, T. H., Cha, J. W., An, Y. J., & Park, S. (2024) · Journal of the American Chemical Society · doi:10.1021/jacs.4c11809 · Cited by 3
Development of “environmentally friendly” super Escherichia coli strains that can completely biodegrade toluene
Wang, Y., Qian, C., Deng, Y., Tian, Y., Gao, J., Xu, J., Li, Z.-J., Fu, X., Sun, Y.-Z., Han, H.-J., et al. (2025) · Chemical Engineering Journal · doi:10.1016/j.cej.2025.159877 · Cited by 3
The metabolic drivers of IFN-γ release: glycolysis and acetyl CoA ride in the front seat
Henderson, J., & O’Reilly, S. (2025) · The Journal of Immunology · doi:10.1093/jimmun/vkaf045 · Cited by 4
Mesencephalic Astrocyte‐Derived Neurotrophic Factor Binds BAX to Preserve Mitochondrial Homeostasis and Energy Metabolism for Relieving Myocardial Hypertrophy
Wang, D., Zhang, X., Wang, B., Li, H., Xu, D., Yang, Y., Zhang, J., Wang, W., Zhang, R., Wang, X., et al. (2025) · Advanced Science · doi:10.1002/advs.202502835 · Cited by 3
Application of Graph Models to the Identification of Transcriptomic Oncometabolic Pathways in Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Barace, S., Santamaría, E., Infante, S., Arcelus, S., Fuente, J. D. L., Goñi, E., Tamayo, I., Ochoa, I., Sogbe, M., Sangro, B., et al. (2024) · Biomolecules · doi:10.3390/biom14060653 · Cited by 3
Glutamine, Serine and Glycine at Increasing Concentrations Regulate Cisplatin Sensitivity in Gastric Cancer by Posttranslational Modifications of KDM4A
Fu, J., Ni, Y., Hu, Y., Tang, W., Fu, J., Wang, Y., Yu, S., & Xu, W. (2025) · Molecular Carcinogenesis · doi:10.1002/mc.23881 · Cited by 3
An engineered culture vessel and flow system to improve the in vitro analysis of volatile organic compoundsPreprint
Eshima, J., Pennington, T. R., Abdellatif, Y., Olea, A. P., Lusk, J. F., Ambrose, B. D., Marschall, E., Miranda, C., Phan, P., Aridi, C., et al. (2023) · bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · doi:10.1101/2023.08.05.552027 · Cited by 3
Screening and Analysis of Potential Inhibitors of SHMT2
Chen, B., & Zhang, J. Z. H. (2023) · Biophysica · doi:10.3390/biophysica3040044 · Cited by 2
“The metabolic process of cancer cells is very different compared to that of normal cells, and this abnormal cellular metabolic process is termed reprogrammed metabolism, in which one-carbon unit (1C) metabolism [1–3] is necessary to maintain the proliferation and growth of cancer cells.”
Background
Endogenous activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α in proximal tubule cells in counteracting phosphate toxicity
Katsuma, Y., Matsui, I., Matsumoto, A., Okushima, H., Imai, A., Sakaguchi, Y., Yamamoto, T., Mizui, M., Uchinomiya, S., Kato, H., et al. (2024) · American Journal of Physiology-Renal Physiology · doi:10.1152/ajprenal.00046.2024 · Cited by 3
Metabolic Effects of the Cancer Metastasis Modulator MEMO1
Ghanbarian, M., Dolgova, N. V., Vizeacoumar, F. S., Vizeacoumar, F. J., Michel, D. L., El‐Aneed, A., & Dmitriev, O. Y. (2025) · Metabolites · doi:10.3390/metabo15040277 · Cited by 2
“TCA cycle, also known as the Krebs or citric acid cycle, is a central metabolic hub for the oxidative metabolism of nutrients, including glucose, fatty acids, and amino acids, to support cellular bioenergetics [10,11].”
Microbial interactions induce the mutational signature of mismatch repair deficiency in colorectal cancer and associated with EPPK1 mutations
Hu, D., Zhao, J., Wu, M., Zhou, Y., Lyu, B., Xu, C., Huang, C., Su, Z., Zhang, H., Guo, J., et al. (2025) · Cancer Letters · doi:10.1016/j.canlet.2025.217807 · Cited by 2
ACSS2 involved in acetyl‐ CoA synthesis regulates skeletal muscle function
Gunasekaran, M., Campos, G., Wells, N. M., Lambuu, K., Draper, I., Pacak, C. A., & Kang, P. B. (2025) · FEBS Letters · doi:10.1002/1873-3468.70152 · Cited by 2
Multi-omics profiling reveals downregulated tumor lysine metabolism reshaping the immune microenvironment and therapeutic responses in hepatocellular carcinoma
Lu, X., Qiang, M., Li, R., Guo, C., Li, K., Yao, Y., Wang, J., Wang, C., Tu, K., Chen, Y., et al. (2025) · Journal of Translational Medicine · doi:10.1186/s12967-025-07056-3 · Cited by 4
“Additionally, acetyl-CoA plays a crucial role in regulating immune cell functions, such as T cell metabolism, which may influence immune responses within the TME [68].”
A chemoproteomic atlas of the human purine interactome for regioselective ligand discovery
Li, Z., Tsai, H.-K., Libby, A. H., Founds, M. W., Murtagh, O. L., Ware, M. L., Leace, D. M., 5, Gingrich, P. W., Al‐Lazikani, B., et al. (2026) · Nature Communications · doi:10.1038/s41467-026-73407-3 · Cited by 2
“Where applicable, P values were adjusted for multiple comparisons using FDR. Exact P values are reported in Supplementary Data 3.”
Influential
Multidimensional analysis reveals the potential of ACSL3 as a cancer biomarker: from pan-cancer exploration to functional validation in hepatocellular carcinoma
Niu, Q., Mou, Y., Yao, Y., Dong, H., Wang, K., Zeng, Z., Tao, Y., Gong, X., & Li, H. (2025) · Clinical and Experimental Medicine · doi:10.1007/s10238-025-01882-x · Cited by 2
“These activated esters are further metabolized into different lipid species and derivatives, supporting cellular nutrition, signaling pathways, and membrane biogenesis [21].”
Growth hormone-releasing peptide 6 (GHRP-6) hydrogel for acute kidney injury therapy via metabolic regulation
Zhao, X., Pan, K., Li, R., Liu, M., Li, D., Jia, P., Han, Z., Han, Z., Guo, Z., Li, Z., et al. (2025) · Journal of Nanobiotechnology · doi:10.1186/s12951-025-03888-9 · Cited by 2
“Acting as a central hub, acetyl-CoA [42] links the metabolism of amino acids, sugars, and lipids, and is essential for orchestrating amino acid and fatty acid metabolism.”
Nutrient-driven histone acetylation underlies energy storage and mobilization
Chen, L., Zhu, L., Xiao, H., Wang, X., Xia, F., Wang, Z., Wu, L., Wu, D., Liu, Q., Cheng, J., et al. (2026) · Molecular Metabolism · doi:10.1016/j.molmet.2026.102344 · Cited by 2
Reinvigorating COTL1high NK cells via GITR signalling overcomes immune checkpoint blockade resistance in tsMHC-I-impaired tumours
You, W., Hu, C., Zhang, Y., Huang, Y., Yuan, J., Wu, C.-Y., Kong, D., Zhao, M., Han, Y., Li, S., et al. (2026) · Nature Cell Biology · doi:10.1038/s41556-026-01925-9 · Cited by 2
“As nuclear acetyl-CoA primarily fuels histone acetylation 39,40 , the cleavage under targets and tagmentation (CUT&Tag) profiling revealed increased H3K27ac at the RBPJ promoter in GITR-activated COTL1 high NK cells (Fig.”
Lipid signaling networks in pancreatic cancer progression and therapeutic perspectives
Costamagna, A., Milan, G., Santis, M. C. D., Carrer, A., & Martini, M. (2026) · Trends in Endocrinology and Metabolism · doi:10.1016/j.tem.2026.03.004 · Cited by 2
Reprogramming lipid metabolism in pediatric cancers
Lindemann, V. L., Noureddine, N., & Morscher, R. J. (2026) · Oncogenesis · doi:10.1038/s41389-026-00617-1 · Cited by 2
“Biosynthetic pathways: building blocks and signaling Fatty acid synthesis (FAS) generates palmitate in the cytosol from acetyl-CoA, which is predominantly derived from citrate via ATP citrate lyase (ACLY) or from acetate via acyl-CoA synthetase short-chain family member 2 (ACSS2) [16].”
Compartmental pH regulation in cancer and antitumor immunity: therapeutic opportunities and challenges
Chen, F., Cai, X., Zhou, Q., Huang, Z., Wang, J., Kang, R., Tang, D., & Liu, J. (2026) · APOPTOSIS · doi:10.1007/s10495-026-02408-w · Cited by 2
CMS121: a novel approach to mitigate aging-related obesity and metabolic dysfunction
Dafré, A. L., Zahid, S., Probst, J. J., Currais, A. J. M., Yu, J., Schubert, D. A., & Maher, P. A. (2024) · Aging · doi:10.18632/aging.205673 · Cited by 2
“…phosphorylation was observed in adipose tissue and decreased levels of FASN were observed in the liver, both of which would lead to increased levels of acetyl-CoA [39] indicating CMS121 induces the same inhibitory effects on lipid synthesis in hepatic and adipose tissue as found in the brain [14].”
Background
Candida tropicalis ZD-3 prevents excessive fat deposition by regulating ileal microbiota and bile acids enterohepatic circulation in broilers
Feng, J., Wang, F., Nan, S., Dou, L., Pang, X., Niu, J., Zhang, W., & Nie, C. (2024) · Frontiers in Microbiology · doi:10.3389/fmicb.2024.1419424 · Cited by 2
“Acetobacter synthesizes acetyl coenzyme A synthetase, which regulates the tricarboxylic acid cycle (Guertin and Wellen, 2023).”
Background
Polymeric nanoformulations aimed at cancer metabolism reprogramming with high specificity to inhibit tumor growth
Xia, Y., Zhang, M., Ye, J., Niu, M., Wang, Z., Dai, X., He, Z., & Feng, J. (2024) · Biomaterials Science · doi:10.1039/d4bm00887a · Cited by 2
Mg2+ binding to coenzyme A
Semelak, J. A., Gallo, M. L., Flecha, F. L. G., Pino, S. D., Pertinhez, T. A., Zeida, A., Gout, I. T., Estrin, D. A., & Trujillo, M. (2024) · Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics · doi:10.1016/j.abb.2024.110202 · Cited by 2
“11 The discovery of CoA and the determination of its structure led to Fritz Albert Lipmann being awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1953.”
Integrated transcriptome analysis and combinatorial machine learning to construct a homeostatic model of acetylation for ccRCC and validate the key gene GCNT4
Zhu, B., Mo, Z., Bao, Y., Gan, X., & Wang, L. (2025) · Cancer Cell International · doi:10.1186/s12935-025-03837-4 · Cited by 2
“Abnormal levels or activities of these rate-limiting enzymes can drive malignant transformation 21 , including signi�cant impacts on the tumor microenvironment 22 .”
ACSS2/AATF Drives Soluble FasL‐Mediated CD8 + T Cell Apoptosis in Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors
Dang, Q., Wang, T., Wang, Y., Zeng, Y., Li, B., Pan, X., Li, Z., Fan, G., Jing, D., Xu, J., et al. (2025) · Advanced Science · doi:10.1002/advs.202506883 · Cited by 2
Filtering cells with high mitochondrial content removes viable metabolically altered malignant cell populations in cancer single-cell studiesPreprint
Yates, J., Kraft, A., & Boeva, V. (2024) · bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · doi:10.1101/2024.10.24.620025 · Cited by 2
Spatial and Cellular Architecture of the Glioblastoma Microenvironment Associated with Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocyte ExpansionPreprint
Hotchkiss, K. M., Zhang, K., Corcoran, A. M., Owens, E., Jepson, J., Batavia, K. V., Noldner, P., Ayasoufi, K., Singh, K., Brown, M. C., et al. (2025) · bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · doi:10.1101/2025.03.26.645566 · Cited by 2
PANK2-Mediated De Novo CoA Synthesis Is Required for Metabolic Switching to Fatty Acid OxidationPreprint
Nordlie, S. M., Schafer, R., Rauckhorst, A. J., Santos-Exposito, A. M., Prieto-Rodríguez, A., Wilson, B. A., Evans, I. A., Hadziamehtovic, U., Nowlen, F., Santos‐Ocaña, C., et al. (2025) · bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · doi:10.1101/2025.10.07.680981 · Cited by 2
Molecular mechanisms of bone metastasis in breast cancer based on transcriptomic and microbiomic analysis
Zhang, D., Long, M., Meng, L., Li, Y., Chen, B., Lin, D., & Su, G. (2025) · Cancer Causes & Control · doi:10.1007/s10552-025-02057-5 · Cited by 1
Integrated single-cell and bulk RNA sequencing analysis reveals ACACA as a potential prognostic and immunotherapeutic biomarker across cancers
He, H. H., Zhang, Z., Chen, L., Gao, F., Wu, Y., Yi, L., Shao, F., Gao, Y., & He, J. (2025) · Frontiers in Immunology · doi:10.3389/fimmu.2025.1599223 · Cited by 1
“ACACA acts as a key regulator of fatty acid synthesis and energy homeostasis (21, 22).”

Authors: Guertin, D. A., & Wellen, K. E.
Affiliations: University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School (US)
University of Pennsylvania (US)
Corresponding author: Guertin, David A.
Wellen, Kathryn E.
ORCID: Guertin, David A.
Wellen, Kathryn E.
Venue: Nature Reviews Cancer
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published: 2023-01-19
Volume: 23
Issue: 3
Pages: 156-172
ISSN: 1474-175X (ISSN-L)
1474-1768
DOI: 10.1038/s41568-022-00543-5
PMC: PMC11137663
OpenAlex: W4317436153
Cited by: 303
References: 200
Citations by year: 2026: 85 · 2025: 120 · 2024: 69 · 2023: 29
FWCI: 9.57
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: hybrid
doi.org
Licence: cc-by
www.springernature.com/gp/researchers/text-and-data-mining (tdm)
www.springernature.com/gp/researchers/text-and-data-mining (vor)
Locations: Nature reviews. Cancer (publishedVersion, cc-by)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
PubMed Central (acceptedVersion, cc-by)
Funders: National Institutes of Health
National Cancer Institute (R01CA174761, R01CA248315, R01CA228339, R01CA262055)
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (R01DK094004, R01DK116005, R01DK127175)
Topics: Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cancer Research › Cancer, Lipids, and Metabolism
Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cancer Research › Cancer, Hypoxia, and Metabolism
Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Metabolism, Diabetes, and Cancer
Keywords: acetyl-CoA metabolism, cancer metabolism, TCA cycle, fatty acid synthesis, isoprenoid biosynthesis, lysine acetylation, protein acetylation, metabolic signalling, stable isotope tracing
MeSH terms: Acetyl Coenzyme A, Animals, Disease Models, Animal, Humans, Neoplasms, Mice, Metabolic Networks and Pathways

About these checks

Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.

Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.

Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.

What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›

Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review

Acetyl-CoA metabolism in cancer

Abstract

Overview

Integrity signals

Verification

Claims the paper makes

Claims other papers make about this one

Self-check

Citations

Cites

Cited by

Related

Metadata

Record

About these checks