Abstract

From a formal scientific perspective, neoplastic transformation could be considered the reflection of the power of evolution for a fundamental scientist. The acquisition of mutations, clonal selection and evolution make tumors dynamic entities in a continuum of heterogeneity. In addition to intrinsic determinants (mutations), cancer cells also acquire behavioral changes in response to the hostile environment where they inhabit or land, which profoundly affects their fate. The highways connecting DNA alterations, extracellular changes and cell fate decisions stem from two plastic communication networks: cellular signaling and metabolic pathways. The idiosyncrasies of cancer metabolism were first noted by Otto Warburg in the nineteen twenties but the concept would not be rescued until the past decade. Together, cancer cell signaling and metabolism are the executors of many of the observed cancer mutations, providing cancer cells with the power to proliferate, survive to stress, and disseminate to distal organs. In this seminar, I will overview how alterations in cancer genes impact on metabolism and conversely, how metabolic mediators can be revealed as potential targets for cancer therapy.