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The application prospects of amino acid deprivation for cancer therapy

Meng Wei1, Renbing Wang1, Jingxuan Peng1

  • 1Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China.

European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry
|February 24, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Cancer cells rely on specific amino acids, making amino acid antagonism a promising therapy. This review examines ten key amino acids, their roles in tumor growth, and current blockade strategies for future research.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Metabolic pathways
  • Cancer immunology

Background:

  • Cancer cells exhibit metabolic reprogramming, altering nutrient utilization and creating dependencies on specific amino acids.
  • This amino acid addiction presents a therapeutic vulnerability for targeted cancer treatment.
  • The efficacy of cancer therapies is closely tied to their immunomodulatory effects.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To systematically review the roles of ten key amino acids in tumor progression.
  • To summarize current amino acid blockade strategies and relevant drugs.
  • To identify future research directions for amino acid antagonism in cancer therapy.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic literature review.
  • Analysis of the roles of glutamine, asparagine, leucine, isoleucine, valine, methionine, cysteine, arginine, serine, and glycine in tumor progression.
  • Summary of existing blockade strategies and therapeutic agents.

Main Results:

  • Ten key amino acids (glutamine, asparagine, leucine, isoleucine, valine, methionine, cysteine, arginine, serine, glycine) play critical roles in fueling tumor growth.
  • Current therapeutic strategies focus on antagonizing these amino acid dependencies.
  • Evidence suggests a link between amino acid metabolism modulation and immunomodulation in cancer.

Conclusions:

  • Targeting amino acid metabolism is a viable strategy for cancer therapy, with significant therapeutic potential.
  • Further research into specific amino acid roles and blockade mechanisms is needed to overcome clinical challenges.
  • Optimizing amino acid antagonism could enhance treatment efficacy through immunomodulation.
Keywords:
Amino acidsBlocking therapiesCancerDrug designMetabolic reprogramming

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