Metabolomics in acute myeloid leukemia

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a complex, heterogenous hematological malignancy caused by mutations in myeloid differentiation and proliferation. Response to therapy and long-term outcomes vary widely based on chromosomal and molecular aberrations. Many platforms have been used to characterize and stratify AML. Metabolomics, the global profiling of small molecules in a biological sample, has emerged in the last decade as an important tool for studying the metabolic dependency of cancer cells. Metabolic reprogramming is not only an important manifestation of AML but clinically relevant for diagnosis, risk stratification and targeted drug development. In this review, we discuss notable metabolic studies of the last decade and their application to novel therapies.