c-Myc and Cancer Metabolism

The processes of cellular growth regulation and cellular metabolism are closely interrelated. The c-Myc oncogene is a master regulator which controls many aspects of both of these processes. The metabolic changes which occur in transformed cells, many of which are driven by c-Myc overexpression, are necessary to support the increased need for nucleic acids, proteins, and lipids necessary for rapid cellular proliferation. At the same time, c-Myc overexpression results in coordinated changes in level of expression of gene families which result in increased cellular proliferation. This interesting duality of c-Myc effects places it in the mainstream of transformational changes and gives it a very important role in regulating the transformed phenotype. The effects induced by c-Myc can occur either as a primary oncogene which is activated by amplification or translocation or as a downstream effect of other activated oncogenes. In either case, it appears that c-Myc plays a central role in sustaining the changes which occur with transformation. Although efforts to use c-Myc as a therapeutic target have been quite frustrating, it appears that this may change in the next few years. Clin Cancer Res; 18(20); 5546-53. (C) 2012 AACR.