Targeting tumor metabolism: novel strategies against cancer stem cells? New aspects and changing paradigms

摘要

Novel evidence suggests there could be more to metabolism than meets the eye at first impression. A newly discovered link between metabolic changes and differentiation has intriguing connections to an old hypothesis advocated by Otto Warburg for tumor metabolism. As stem cells are predominantly reliant on glycolytic metabolism, which may be applicable to cancer stem cells, new metabolism findings could constitute a vantage point for cancer research. If these concepts and interconnections between metabolism and cellular differentiation can be further substantiated in solid malignancies and apply to cancer initiating cells, our view on cancer may significantly change, which may alter future therapeutic strategies.