Focusing on cancer cell metabolism provides ample scope for the identification of new therapeutic targets.
Although cancers have long been thought to primarily metabolize sugars to produce energy, recent studies have found that some cancer cells have other means of energy production.
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Some cancer cells (including glioblastoma cells) prefer to break down fats, not glucose, to make energy. What's more, this metabolic pathway supports the growth of these malignant cells. For this reason, blocking fatty acid metabolism has enormous promise as a new therapeutic intervention aimed to slow tumor progression.
A new approach
Targeting fatty acid metabolism is a new approach in oncology treatment. It involves preventing the cancer cells from making enough energy and raw materials to grow the tumor.
Ongoing studies
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