Signaling Pathways in Cancer Metabolism: Mechanisms and Therapeutic Targets
Overview
Pharmacology
Authors
Affiliations
A wide spectrum of metabolites (mainly, the three major nutrients and their derivatives) can be sensed by specific sensors, then trigger a series of signal transduction pathways and affect the expression levels of genes in epigenetics, which is called metabolite sensing. Life body regulates metabolism, immunity, and inflammation by metabolite sensing, coordinating the pathophysiology of the host to achieve balance with the external environment. Metabolic reprogramming in cancers cause different phenotypic characteristics of cancer cell from normal cell, including cell proliferation, migration, invasion, angiogenesis, etc. Metabolic disorders in cancer cells further create a microenvironment including many kinds of oncometabolites that are conducive to the growth of cancer, thus forming a vicious circle. At the same time, exogenous metabolites can also affect the biological behavior of tumors. Here, we discuss the metabolite sensing mechanisms of the three major nutrients and their derivatives, as well as their abnormalities in the development of various cancers, and discuss the potential therapeutic targets based on metabolite-sensing signaling pathways to prevent the progression of cancer.
Bridging epigenomics and tumor immunometabolism: molecular mechanisms and therapeutic implications.
Xie X, Liu W, Yuan Z, Chen H, Mao W Mol Cancer. 2025; 24(1):71.
PMID: 40057791 PMC: 11889836. DOI: 10.1186/s12943-025-02269-y.
Pandey P, Verma M, Sanghvi G, R R, Joshi K, V K Naunyn Schmiedebergs Arch Pharmacol. 2025; .
PMID: 40019530 DOI: 10.1007/s00210-025-03937-y.
Diagnostic and Therapeutic Implications of the SUMOylation Pathway in Acute Myeloid Leukemia.
Chatzikalil E, Arvanitakis K, Filippatos F, Diamantopoulos P, Koufakis T, Solomou E Cancers (Basel). 2025; 17(4).
PMID: 40002226 PMC: 11853134. DOI: 10.3390/cancers17040631.
Cho K, Kim Y, Woo S, Ryu K Tissue Eng Regen Med. 2025; .
PMID: 39998743 DOI: 10.1007/s13770-025-00709-w.
Microbes, macrophages, and melanin: a unifying theory of disease as exemplified by cancer.
Berg S, Berg J Front Immunol. 2025; 15:1493978.
PMID: 39981299 PMC: 11840190. DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1493978.