IMR Press / FBL / Volume 29 / Issue 3 / DOI: 10.31083/j.fbl2903099
Open Access Review
The Molecular Mechanisms behind Advanced Breast Cancer Metabolism: Warburg Effect, OXPHOS, and Calcium
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1 Department of Chemistry, Herbert H. Lehman College, City University of New York, New York, NY 10468, USA
2 PhD Program in Biology, The Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, NY 10016, USA
3 Department of Chemistry, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
4 Department of Biological Sciences, Herbert H. Lehman College, City University of New York, New York, NY 10468, USA
5 PhD Programs in Biochemistry and Chemistry, The Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, NY 10016, USA
*Correspondence: Columba.delaparra@lehman.cuny.edu (Columba de la Parra)
Front. Biosci. (Landmark Ed) 2024, 29(3), 99; https://doi.org/10.31083/j.fbl2903099
Submitted: 8 November 2023 | Revised: 24 January 2024 | Accepted: 22 February 2024 | Published: 13 March 2024
Copyright: © 2024 The Author(s). Published by IMR Press.
This is an open access article under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Abstract

Altered metabolism represents a fundamental difference between cancer cells and normal cells. Cancer cells have a unique ability to reprogram their metabolism by deviating their reliance from primarily oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) to glycolysis, in order to support their survival. This metabolic phenotype is referred to as the “Warburg effect” and is associated with an increase in glucose uptake, and a diversion of glycolytic intermediates to alternative pathways that support anabolic processes. These processes include synthesis of nucleic acids, lipids, and proteins, necessary for the rapidly dividing cancer cells, sustaining their growth, proliferation, and capacity for successful metastasis. Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is one of the most aggressive subtypes of breast cancer, with the poorest patient outcome due to its high rate of metastasis. TNBC is characterized by elevated glycolysis and in certain instances, low OXPHOS. This metabolic dysregulation is linked to chemotherapeutic resistance in TNBC research models and patient samples. There is more than a single mechanism by which this metabolic switch occurs and here, we review the current knowledge of relevant molecular mechanisms involved in advanced breast cancer metabolism, focusing on TNBC. These mechanisms include the Warburg effect, glycolytic adaptations, microRNA regulation, mitochondrial involvement, mitochondrial calcium signaling, and a more recent player in metabolic regulation, JAK/STAT signaling. In addition, we explore some of the drugs and compounds targeting cancer metabolic reprogramming. Research on these mechanisms is highly promising and could ultimately offer new opportunities for the development of innovative therapies to treat advanced breast cancer characterized by dysregulated metabolism.

Keywords
TNBC
Warburg effect
metabolic reprogramming
glycolysis
hexokinase
OXPHOS
mitochondrial Ca2+
ROS
JAK/STAT
miRNAs
Funding
SC2GM139676/NIH/National Institute of General Medicine Sciences (NIGMS)
Figures
Fig. 1.
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