Targeting metabolic pathways for potential leukemia treatment

Aberrant signal transduction pathways influence metabolic changes in neoplastic cells. It is well established, in fact, that cancer cells are characterized by a pro-glycolytic metabolic phenotype and recent evidences confirmed that also leukemia cells may switch to a non-oxidative metabolism. Among the different substrates used to sustain the anabolic processes and to keep the tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA) active, the fatty acid oxidation (FAO) may represent an alternative carbon source. The carnitine palmitoyl transferase 1a (CPT1a) catalyzes the first step of FAO, by loading long chain fatty acyl groups onto carnitine, transporting them through the mitochondrial membrane. Moreover, CPT1a has been previously demonstrated to interact with members of the apoptotic machinery, such as Bcl-2 and t-Bid, and its inhibition can cause an accumulation of the toxic metabolite palmitate, resulting in mitochondrial damage and cell death. In diabetic patients the use of a recently discovered antih