Metabolic Reprogramming in Cancers: Vulnerabilities and Therapeutic Exploitation
A Special Issue of Life (ISSN 2075-1729) belonging to the section "Physiology and Pathology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 October 2026 | Viewed by 269
Editors
Interests: head and neck cancer; T-cell therapy; immunotherapy; otolaryngology
Interests: cancer metabolism; tumor microenvironment; immunometabolism; metabolic inhibitors; therapeutic targeting; precision oncology; cancer immunology; cancer therapy; exosomes
Interests: cancer biology; cell culture; cell signaling; flow cytometry; gene expression; immunofluorescence
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Cancer cells undergo extensive metabolic reprogramming to support sustained proliferation, survival in adverse microenvironments, and resistance to therapeutic interventions. These adaptations include upregulated glycolysis (the Warburg effect), increased dependence on glutamine, alterations in mitochondrial bioenergetics, modifications in lipid biosynthetic and catabolic pathways, and fine-tuning of cellular redox states. Collectively, these changes establish distinct metabolic dependencies that differentiate malignant from normal cells. Recent advancements in metabolomics, single-cell analytics, and integrative systems biology have propelled the investigation of how metabolic heterogeneity and plasticity underlie tumorigenesis, disease progression, immune escape, and resistance to therapy. This Special Issue brings together cutting-edge research and expert perspectives that illuminate the mechanisms and functional consequences of metabolic reprogramming across diverse cancer types.
Aims and Scope
The aim of this Special Issue is to showcase emerging concepts, mechanisms, and translational opportunities in cancer metabolism, with an emphasis on identifying and exploiting metabolic vulnerabilities for therapeutic benefit. We welcome original research articles, comprehensive reviews, and critical perspectives that address the following:
- Metabolic pathways underlying tumor growth, survival, metastasis, and drug resistance;
- Interactions between cancer metabolism and the tumor microenvironment, including immune and stromal components;
- Technological and computational approaches advancing metabolic profiling and flux analysis;
- Discovery and validation of metabolic targets, biomarkers, and synthetic-lethal interactions;
- Preclinical and clinical strategies for metabolic intervention, including metabolic inhibitors, dietary modulation, and immunometabolic therapies.
By integrating mechanistic insights with translational research, this Special Issue aims to accelerate the development of metabolism-based precision oncology and foster interdisciplinary dialog within the cancer research community.
Dr. Sonja Ludwig
Dr. Priyanka Sharma
Dr. Subrata Kumar Pore
Dr. Anjali Bhat
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- Cancer metabolism
- metabolic reprogramming
- tumor microenvironment
- glycolysis
- glutamine metabolism
- mitochondrial metabolism
- lipid metabolism
- oncometabolites
- ferroptosis
- immunometabolism
- metabolic inhibitors
- therapeutic targeting
- precision oncology
- systems metabolomics
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