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Updated: Jan 10, 2026

Evaluation of Amino Acid Consumption in Cultured Bone Cells and Isolated Bone Shafts
Published on: April 13, 2022
Branched chain amino acids and their aberrant metabolism in cancer
Morgan L Brown1, Xuanyan Cai2, M Celeste Simon2
1The Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Abstract:
Cancer cells require sufficient nutrients to support biomass generation, rapid proliferation, and survival. Thus, extensive reprogramming of amino acid metabolism is necessary for tumor initiation and progression under strenuous conditions. One metabolic pathway that has garnered attention is branched chain amino acid (BCAA) catabolism, a pathway that is highly altered across malignancies. This review examines current insights into how circulating BCAAs and their aberrant catabolic enzymes impact both cancer cells and the surrounding tumor microenvironment.
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