Oncometabolism

Oncometabolism is the field of study that focuses on the metabolic changes that occur in cells that make up the tumor microenvironment (TME) and accompany oncogenesis and tumor progression toward a neoplastic state.[1]

Cells with increased growth and survivability differ from non-tumorigenic cells in terms of metabolism.[2] The Warburg Effect, which describes how cancer cells change their metabolism to become more oncogenic in order to proliferate and eventually invade other tissues in a process known as metastasis.[1]

The chemical reactions associated with oncometabolism are triggered by the alteration of oncogenes, which are genes that have the potential to cause cancer.[3] These genes can be functional and active during physiological conditions, producing normal amounts of metabolites. Their upregulation as a result of DNA damage can result in an overabundance of these metabolites, and lead to tumorigenesis. These metabolites are known as oncometabolites, and can act as biomarkers.[4]

Otto Heinrich Warburg, considered the "Father of Oncometabolism" for his early discoveries in the field
  1. ^ a b Urbano AM (January 2021). "Otto Warburg: The journey towards the seminal discovery of tumor cell bioenergetic reprogramming". Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Molecular Basis of Disease. 1867 (1): 165965. doi:10.1016/j.bbadis.2020.165965. PMID 32949769. S2CID 221807074.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference :8 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cooper CS (1990). "The Role of Oncogene Activation in Chemical Carcinogenesis". Chemical Carcinogenesis and Mutagenesis II. Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology. Vol. 94. Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer Berlin Heidelberg. pp. 319–352. doi:10.1007/978-3-642-74778-6_12. ISBN 978-3-642-74780-9.
  4. ^ Dando I, Pozza ED, Ambrosini G, Torrens-Mas M, Butera G, Mullappilly N, et al. (August 2019). "Oncometabolites in cancer aggressiveness and tumour repopulation". Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society. 94 (4): 1530–1546. doi:10.1111/brv.12513. PMID 30972955. S2CID 108294182.