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Updated: Jan 6, 2026

Spectrophotometric Screening for Potential Inhibitors of Cytosolic Glutathione S-Transferases
Published on: October 10, 2020
The role of glutaminase in cancer
Brendah K Masisi1, Rokaya El Ansari1, Lutfi Alfarsi1
1Nottingham Breast Cancer Research Centre, Division of Cancer and Stem Cells, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham Biodiscovery Institute, University Park, Nottingham, UK.
Abstract:
Increased glutamine metabolism (glutaminolysis) is a hallmark of cancer and is recognised as a key metabolic change in cancer cells. Breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease with different morphological and molecular subtypes and responses to therapy, and breast cancer cells are known to rewire glutamine metabolism to support survival and proliferation. Glutaminase isoenzymes (GLS and GLS2) are key enzymes for glutamine metabolism. Interestingly, GLS and GLS2 have contrasting functions in tumorigenesis. In this review, we explore the role of glutaminase in cancer, primarily focusing on breast cancer, address the role played by oncogenes and tumour suppressor genes in regulating glutaminase, and discuss current therapeutic approaches to targeting glutaminase.
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