Targeting Energy Metabolism in Tumour Cell
Cancer cells rapidly metabolise glucose solely into lactic acid during the Warburg effect, creating ATP without oxidative phosphorylation. As a result, NADPH and ATP levels, which are required for the anabolic process, fall. Normally, cells create NADPH via the Krebs cycle with the input of acetyl-CoA. However, because glucose is converted to pyruvate and then to lactic acid, no acetyl-CoA is produced via the link reaction. The FAO pathway provides acetyl-CoA and NADPH to cancer cells. As a result, the FAO pathway becomes critical for cancer cell survival. Cancer treatment/remedy might be developed by targeting the FAO pathway or cancer metabolism. Despite the availability of plenty of oxygen, there is a remarkable increase in glycolysis and a reduction in oxidative phosphorylation of glucose in tumour cells. The "Warburg Effect" refers to this peculiar aerobic glycolysis. It is a characteristic of a rapidly develo...