Metabolic changes in cancer: beyond the Warburg effect
Abstract
Altered metabolism is one of the hallmarks of cancer cells. The best-known metabolic abnormality in cancer cells is the Warburg effect, which demonstrates an increased glycolysis even in the presence of oxygen. However, tumor-related metabolic abnormalities are not limited to altered balance between glucose fermentation and oxidative phosphorylation. Key tumor genes such as p53 and c-myc are found to be master regulators of metabolism. Metabolic enzymes such as succinate dehydrogenase, fumarate hydratase, pyruvate kinase, and isocitrate dehydrogenase mutations or expressing level alterations are all linked to tumorigenesis. In this review, we introduce some of the cancer-associated metabolic disorders and current understanding of their molecular tumorigenic mechanisms.
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Hypoxia and ischemia, as well as decreased oxidative phosphorylation, drive succinate accumulation in the mitochondrial matrix.
“It should be noted that hypoxia and ischemia, as well as decreased oxidative phosphorylation, drive succinate accumulation in the mitochondrial matrix26,27.”
From Coupling Krebs cycle metabolites to signalling in immunity and cancer (2018) · cites this paper as [26]
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- Authors
- Wu, W., & Zhao, S.
- Affiliations
- Fudan University (CN)
- Venue
- Acta Biochimica et Biophysica Sinica
- Published
- 2013-01-01
- Volume
- 45
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 18-26
- ISSN
- 1672-9145 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2149314308
- Cited by
- 173
- References
- 68
- Citations by year
- 2026: 6 · 2025: 15 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 13 · 2022: 13 · 2021: 14 · 2020: 15 · 2019: 17 · 2018: 9 · 2017: 15 · 2016: 13 · 2015: 14 · 2014: 14 · 2013: 5
- FWCI
- 0.79
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Acta Biochimica et Biophysica Sinica (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- HighWire Press Open Archive (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- 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
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cancer Research › Cancer, Lipids, and Metabolism
- Keywords
- cancer metabolism, Warburg effect, aerobic glycolysis, oxidative phosphorylation, p53, c-Myc, succinate dehydrogenase, fumarate hydratase, pyruvate kinase, isocitrate dehydrogenase, tumor suppressor mutations, carcinogenesis, metabolic enzymes
- MeSH terms
- Glucose, Humans, Metabolism, Mutation, Neoplasms, Oxidative Phosphorylation, Genes, p53, Genes, myc
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