Cancer Changes Cell Metabolism

Via gene expression data analysis, Denis Vitkup, from Columbia University Medical Center (New York, USA), and colleagues have identified hundreds of new potential targets in the early detection and treatment of cancer.  The team found that cancer-induced changes in metabolism are significantly different in various types of tumors. Reporting that there are no single and universal changes in cancer metabolism, the investigators submit that researchers need to consider how different tumor types adapt their metabolism to meet their specific needs, thus targeting metabolism may be a way to strike cancer at its roots.  The study authors write that: “. On the level of individual biochemical reactions, many hundreds of metabolic isoenzymes show significant and tumor-specific expression changes. These isoenzymes are potential targets for anticancer therapy.”