Cell Metabolism

Cancer biology and therapeutics

Cancer cells display critical metabolic transformations induced by mutations that result in cell cycle deregulation associated with enhanced cellular stress. Adaptation to this stress phenotype is required for cancer cells to survive and involves the participation of genes that regulate metabolism, bioenergetics, cell death and ROS detoxification. In this text, small molecules that selectively kill cancer cells while sparing normal surrounding cells, are the desired approach for the treatment of cancer. To this aim, cancer therapeutics should target the differential features of cancer cells. Here, we briefly summarize the therapeutic strategies that involve mitochondria and their proposed mechanism of action to selectively target transformed cells.