Oncometabolites in cancer: from cancer cells to the tumor microenvironment
Luoyi Chen, Min Huang
Abstract
Abstract Oncometabolites refer to pro-oncogenic metabolites that are aberrantly accumulated due to distorted metabolic pathways in cancer cells, and play a crucial role in promoting cancer malignancy. In recent years, the concept of oncometabolites has been broadened beyond their original definition. Emerging evidence has suggested that oncometabolites also exert crucial functions in non-cancer cells within the tumor microenvironment, and can even be produced by these cells. In this review, we summarize the expanded understanding of oncometabolites by presenting an overview of their functions and mechanisms in oncogenesis and cancer progression from the viewpoint of the tumor microenvironment, with a special attention to metabolite-mediated cell-cell crosstalk in promoting cancer progression. With this review, we hope to gain a better understanding of roles and the regulation of the rewired metabolism in cancer and inspire novel therapeutic avenues for treating oncometabolite-driven cancers.