Emerging therapies in cancer metabolism

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Metabolic pathways
• Cancer biology

Background:

• Metabolic reprogramming is a key hallmark of cancer, presenting therapeutic vulnerabilities.
• Numerous metabolic targets show preclinical promise for impeding tumor progression, with some in clinical trials.
• The complexity and adaptability of cancer metabolic networks limit current therapy effectiveness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review metabolic targets for cancer treatment.
• To provide an overview of clinical trials targeting cancer metabolism.
• To identify factors limiting metabolism-based therapy efficacy and propose future directions.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of metabolic targets in cancer.
• Analysis of current clinical trial status for cancer metabolism therapies.
• Discussion of challenges and future directions integrating multi-omics and advanced tracking technologies.

Main Results:

• Metabolic reprogramming is a critical aspect of cancer biology and a source of therapeutic targets.
• Despite promise, the adaptability of metabolic networks poses significant challenges to treatment efficacy.
• Integrating multi-omics, single-cell, and spatial technologies offers new avenues for precise metabolic adaptation tracking.

Conclusions:

• Metabolism-based cancer therapies hold significant potential but require overcoming network complexity.
• Advances in technology enable more precise and dynamic tracking of metabolic adaptation.
• Personalized metabolic therapies, guided by integrated data, are a promising future direction for improved cancer treatment.