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Updated: May 30, 2026

Assessment of the Metabolic Profile of Primary Leukemia Cells
Published on: November 21, 2018
Metabolic alterations in cancer cells and therapeutic implications
Naima Hammoudi1, Kausar Begam Riaz Ahmed, Celia Garcia-Prieto
1Department of Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.
Abstract:
Cancer metabolism has emerged as an important area of research in recent years. Elucidation of the metabolic differences between cancer and normal cells and the underlying mechanisms will not only advance our understanding of fundamental cancer cell biology but also provide an important basis for the development of new therapeutic strategies and novel compounds to selectively eliminate cancer cells by targeting their unique metabolism. This article reviews several important metabolic alterations in cancer cells, with an emphasis on increased aerobic glycolysis (the Warburg effect) and glutamine addiction, and discusses the mechanisms that may contribute to such metabolic changes. In addition, metabolic alterations in cancer stem cells, mitochondrial metabolism and its influence on drug sensitivity, and potential therapeutic strategies and agents that target cancer metabolism are also discussed.
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