Low carbon lifestyle of tumor cells

Abstract

The deregulation of cellular energetics is one of the hallmarks of cancer cells. The metabolism of tumor cells is unique in that aerobic glycolysis occurs with increased glycolysis and decreased mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation, even in the presence of oxygen. The Warburg effect is related to the original observation that proliferating tumor cells consume glucose at a high rate and release lactate, not CO2. In terms of carbon emissions, a low carbon lifestyle exists in tumor cells. This lifestyle represents one such mechanism whereby increased entry of glucose ensures rapid proliferation and sustenance of biological processes critical for proliferation, metastasis, and adaptation, and further proliferation at the metastatic site. The underlying mechanisms involve directing glucose toward biosynthesis, rapid cell energy generation, gene mutation, environmental selection, acid resistance, escape from apoptosis and maintaince of tumor stem cell.