Targeting Cancer Metabolism: From Mechanism to Therapies
A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Pathology, Diagnostics, and Therapeutics".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 April 2026 | Viewed by 713
Special Issue Editor
Interests: multidrug resistance; microbiome; cancer; infectious diseases; clinical microbiology; diagnostics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
In recent decades, the etiopathogenesis of cancer has focused on genetics. More recently, the possible involvement of metabolic alterations in oncological processes has been documented in greater detail. Unlike healthy cells, cancer cells often rely on glycolysis for energy production, even in the presence of oxygen—a phenomenon known as the Warburg effect, as first reported in 1924 by Otto Warburg. This metabolic shift supports rapid cell growth and survival under stressful conditions. Changes in the expression of enzymes involved in glucose metabolism constitute a fundamental aspect of metabolic reprogramming, and these unique metabolic pathways present high-potential targets and promising avenues for new cancer therapies. However, several questions remain, for example, the degree to which genetics may promote metabolic disorders subsequently driving emergence of cancer, or whether some cancers may be the result of a dysregulated metabolism alone and how the latter may be prevented. Currently, metabolic alterations are considered a key feature of tumorigenesis, as they can modulate fundamental processes involved in proliferation, migration, and metastatic invasion.
We invite researchers and professionals to share their latest findings and insights on this important topic.
Dr. Zisis Kozlakidis
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- cancer metabolism
- metabolic alterations
- Warburg effect
- metabolic reprogramming
- metabolic disorder
- mitochondrial dysfunction
- mitochondrial dynamics
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