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Updated: Jun 6, 2025

Polysome Fractionation and Analysis of Mammalian Translatomes on a Genome-wide Scale
10:56

Polysome Fractionation and Analysis of Mammalian Translatomes on a Genome-wide Scale

Published on: May 17, 2014

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Metabolism and mRNA translation: a nexus of cancer plasticity

Xinpu Tang1, Kaixiu Li1, Yuqing Wang1

  • 1Institute of Thoracic Oncology and Department of Thoracic Surgery, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.

Trends in Cell Biology
|November 27, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Cancer cells adapt to energy deprivation by reprogramming mRNA translation. This review explores how metabolism and translation coordinate to promote tumor survival and potential therapeutic targets.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Metabolic Pathways

Background:

  • Tumors experience energy deprivation from mutations, hypoxia, and nutrient scarcity in the tumor microenvironment (TME).
  • Metabolic stress forces cancer cells to adapt by altering mRNA translation to survive.
  • Understanding the link between cancer metabolism and translation is crucial for developing new therapies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review recent advances in the interplay between cellular metabolism and mRNA translation under metabolic stress.
  • To elucidate mechanisms coordinating ribosome biogenesis and translation reprogramming in cancer.
  • To identify therapeutic strategies targeting cancer metabolism and translation.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of recent studies on cancer metabolism and mRNA translation.
  • Analysis of adaptive reprogramming of mRNA translation in response to metabolic stress.
  • Exploration of signaling pathways involved in metabolic plasticity and tumor survival.

Main Results:

  • Metabolic stress induces adaptive changes in mRNA translation to ensure cancer cell survival.
  • Coordination between ribosome assembly and translation programs is critical under stress.
  • Interplay between metabolism and translation influences cancer cell plasticity.

Conclusions:

  • Targeting both cancer metabolism and mRNA translation offers a promising therapeutic strategy.
  • Disrupting the coordination between metabolism and translation can inhibit cancer cell survival.
  • Further research into these mechanisms could lead to novel anticancer treatments.
Keywords:
cancer cell plasticitymRNA translationtumor metabolism

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