THE METABOLIC YELLS IN CANCER CELLS

*Shubhangi D. Mishra, Jyoti D. Bhavthankar, Suresh R. Barpande, Mandakini S. Mandale and
Jayanti Humbe

ABSTRACT

Cancer is the disease that has become the most catastrophic threat to human survival. Although researchers have been in constant search of novel diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic strategies with might and main; yet the evil paves its way by diverse mechanisms. A growing tumor requires energy for its survival and metastasis. Till a certain point of time, the cells derive it from their external environment, but when the environmental conditions worsen due to the continuous growing of tumor, oxygen and nutrients in their vicinity are depleted. In such conditions of hypoxia and the seemingly „draught‟ like situations for these tumor cells, the cells themselves start metabolizing the constituents within them or at times around them, but more judiciously. This implies that the cancer cell exhibit metabolic events that are different than those that occur in healthy cells of the body. Moreover, due to the constant replication and other cellular processes, the tumor cells need to get rid of the toxic metabolites more efficiently for survival. All these circumstances, justify that the cancer cell metabolic pathways need to be explored further in order to effectively exploit the elements of the same for the targeting of the tumors. Thus a brief review of literature has been compiled here to acknowledge such targetable insights in the tumor biology, with a vision to evoke more effective diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic protocols in cancer.

Keywords: tumor, oxygen and nutrients.