Targeting Metabolic Pathways in Cancer Therapy: New Strategies and Future Directions

Samenvatting

Cancer cells exhibit unique metabolic reprogramming to fuel their rapid growth and proliferation. Targeting these metabolic alterations has emerged as a promising strategy for cancer therapy. This review delves into the key metabolic pathways exploited by cancer cells, including glycolysis, the pentose phosphate pathway, glutaminolysis, and fatty acid synthesis. We discuss the current understanding of these pathways' dysregulation in cancer and the development of targeted therapies that aim to disrupt these processes. Furthermore, we explore emerging strategies such as metabolic combination therapies and the use of nanotechnology to enhance drug delivery and target specific metabolic vulnerabilities. While significant progress has been made, challenges remain, including the identification of biomarkers to predict patient response and the development of strategies to overcome drug resistance. Future research directions include the investigation of the metabolic interplay between cancer cells and the tumor microenvironment, as well as the integration of metabolic profiling with genomic and proteomic data to identify novel therapeutic targets. By advancing our understanding of cancer metabolism and developing innovative therapeutic approaches, we can ultimately improve patient outcomes and pave the way for precision medicine in cancer treatment.