Oncogene-Induced Metabolic Reprogramming
Activated glucose metabolism in colon cancer.
Positron emission tomography-based imaging (PET)
of increased glucose uptake in a liver-
metastatic colorectal tumor.
Image courtesy of Jens Langner.
It has been known for decades that the cancer cell transformation induces gross metabolic changes in normal cells. Many of these metabolic changes are essential for tumorigenesis, highlighting the likelihood that inhibition of these activities could prevent cancer-associated disease. Our lab is interested in how oncogenic mutations reprogram the metabolic network, thus enabling tumorigenesis.
We utilize LC-MS/MS-based metabolomic analysis to identify novel activities induced by oncogenic mutations. We subsequently employ reverse genetic techniques to target these metabolic activities to elucidate their contributions to cancer cell replication, tumor formation, and evaluate their potential for therapeutic intervention.