Emerging Approaches for Targeting Metabolic Vulnerabilities in Malignant Glioma

Peter M Clark; Wilson X Mai; Timothy F Cloughesy; David A Nathanson

doi:10.1007/s11910-015-0613-6

Emerging Approaches for Targeting Metabolic Vulnerabilities in Malignant Glioma

Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep. 2016 Feb;16(2):17. doi: 10.1007/s11910-015-0613-6.

Authors

Peter M Clark^{1

2}, Wilson X Mai^{3

4}, Timothy F Cloughesy^{5

6}, David A Nathanson^{7

8}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, 10833 Le Conte Ave., Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA. pclark@mednet.ucla.edu.
² Crump Institute for Molecular Imaging, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA. pclark@mednet.ucla.edu.
³ Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, 10833 Le Conte Ave., Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA. wilsonxmai@gmail.com.
⁴ Ahmanson Translational Imaging Division, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, 10833 Le Conte Ave., Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA. wilsonxmai@gmail.com.
⁵ Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, 10833 Le Conte Ave., Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA. tcloughesy@mednet.ucla.edu.
⁶ Henry Singleton Brain Tumor Program, Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, 10833 Le Conte Ave., Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA. tcloughesy@mednet.ucla.edu.
⁷ Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, 10833 Le Conte Ave., Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA. dnathanson@mednet.ucla.edu.
⁸ Ahmanson Translational Imaging Division, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, 10833 Le Conte Ave., Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA. dnathanson@mednet.ucla.edu.

PMID: 26759318
DOI: 10.1007/s11910-015-0613-6

Abstract

Malignant gliomas are intractable and among the most lethal human malignancies. Like other cancers, metabolic reprogramming is a key feature of glioma and is thought to accommodate the heightened nutrient requirements for tumor cell proliferation, growth, and survival. This metabolic rewiring, driven by oncogenic signaling and molded by the unique environment of the brain, may impose vulnerabilities that could be exploited therapeutically for increased tumor control. In this review, we discuss the prominent metabolic features of malignant glioma, the key pathways regulating glioma metabolism, and the potential therapeutic opportunities for targeting metabolic processes.

Keywords: Glioblastoma; Glioma; Glycolysis; Metabolism; Molecular imaging; Targeted therapy.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
Review

MeSH terms

Brain / pathology
Glioma* / pathology
Humans
Signal Transduction

Grants and funding

P50 CA86306/CA/NCI NIH HHS/United States