The Warburg Effect
Despite the ability of cancer cells to rapidly divide in the absence of trophic factors, they still require some source of energy. It has been well established that cancer cells, like non-cancer cells, utilize glucose as a primary energy source. Not only do cancer cells utilize glucose, but they take up the molecule in large quantities. This was explained decades ago by Otto Warburg, resulting in what is now referred to as the Warburg Effect1. The Warburg Effect explains how cancer cells alter their glucose metabolism to accommodate the rapid and uncontrolled division they undergo. In both cancer and non-cancer cells usually take up glucose from the environment, and it will be turned to pyruvate through glycolysis. The fate of pyruvate, however, is somewhat different between cancer and non-cancer cells. Normal cells will generally use pyruvate for aerobic respiration in the Tricarboxylic Acid (TCA) cycle and oxidative phosphorylation if oxygen (O2) is present. In the absence of O2, these cells will undergo anaerobic respiration and convert pyruvate into lactic acid. Cancer cells, on the other hand, will push pyruvate through the anaerobic pathway regardless of O21, 2. While this metabolic pathway yields less energy than the TCA cycle and oxidative phosphorylation, it is generally more efficient at producing molecules important for
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Warburg, O. (1956). On the origin of cancer cells. Science, 123(3191), 309-314.
2. Kim, J. W., & Dang, C. V. (2006). Cancer's molecular sweet tooth and the Warburg effect. Cancer research, 66(18), 8927-8930.
3. Cai, Z., Zhao, J. S., Li, J. J., Peng, D. N., Wang, X. Y., Chen, T. L., ... & Xie, D. (2010). A combined proteomics and metabolomics profiling of gastric cardia cancer reveals characteristic dysregulations in glucose metabolism. Molecular & Cellular Proteomics, 9(12), 2617-2628.
4. Mazurek, S., Boschek, C. B., Hugo, F., & Eigenbrodt, E. (2005, August). Pyruvate kinase type M2 and its role in tumor growth and spreading. Seminars in cancer biology (Vol. 15, No. 4, pp. 300-308). Academic Press.
5. Christofk, H. R., Vander Heiden, M. G., Harris, M. H., Ramanathan, A., Gerszten, R. E., Wei, R., ... &
Cantley, L. C. (2008). The M2 splice isoform of pyruvate kinase is important for cancer metabolism and tumour growth. Nature,452(7184),
Warburg, O. (1956). On the origin of cancer cells. Science, 123(3191), 309-314.
2. Kim, J. W., & Dang, C. V. (2006). Cancer's molecular sweet tooth and the Warburg effect. Cancer research, 66(18), 8927-8930.
3. Cai, Z., Zhao, J. S., Li, J. J., Peng, D. N., Wang, X. Y., Chen, T. L., ... & Xie, D. (2010). A combined proteomics and metabolomics profiling of gastric cardia cancer reveals characteristic dysregulations in glucose metabolism. Molecular & Cellular Proteomics, 9(12), 2617-2628.
4. Mazurek, S., Boschek, C. B., Hugo, F., & Eigenbrodt, E. (2005, August). Pyruvate kinase type M2 and its role in tumor growth and spreading. Seminars in cancer biology (Vol. 15, No. 4, pp. 300-308). Academic Press.
5. Christofk, H. R., Vander Heiden, M. G., Harris, M. H., Ramanathan, A., Gerszten, R. E., Wei, R., ... &
Cantley, L. C. (2008). The M2 splice isoform of pyruvate kinase is important for cancer metabolism and tumour growth. Nature,452(7184),