Recent advances in cancer metabolism: a technological perspective

Cancer cells are highly dependent on metabolic pathways to sustain both their proliferation and adaption to harsh microenvironments. Thus, understanding the metabolic reprogramming that occurs in tumors can provide critical insights for the development of therapies targeting metabolism. In this review, we will discuss recent advancements in metabolomics and other multidisciplinary techniques that have led to the discovery of novel metabolic pathways and mechanisms in diverse cancer types. Researchers now have access to a rapidly growing number of tools for probing the metabolic abnormalities associated with tumor growth. Unrestrained growth puts special demands on cancer cells, and scientists have known for nearly a century that tumor metabolism differs considerably from healthy tissue metabolism. Gina DeNicola and colleagues at the Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, USA, have reviewed the technological tools available for monitoring the molecules that power cell growth and survival. These include mass spectrometry, which can generate an extremely detailed census of cellular metabolites in a single experiment. The authors also highlight techniques that can help 'trap' short-lived or unstable chemical intermediates for analysis. Other chemical labeling and tracing techniques can illuminate activity of selected metabolic processes in living tumor cells or even in patients, findings that could reveal therapeutic vulnerabilities.