Emerging Hallmarks of Metabolic Reprogramming in Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common male malignancy and the fifth leading cause of cancer death in men worldwide. Prostate cancer cells are characterized by a hybrid glycolytic/oxidative phosphorylation phenotype determined by androgen receptor signaling. An increased lipogenesis and cholesterogenesis have been described in PCa cells. Many studies have shown that enzymes involved in these pathways are overexpressed in PCa. Glutamine becomes an essential amino acid for PCa cells, and its metabolism is thought to become an attractive therapeutic target. A crosstalk between cancer and stromal cells occurs in the tumor microenvironment because of the release of different cytokines and growth factors and due to changes in the extracellular matrix. A deeper insight into the metabolic changes may be obtained by a multi-omic approach integrating genomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics, lipidomics, and radiomics data.

Automated summary

Prostate cancer is a common malignancy in men and a leading cause of cancer death. The cancer cells have specific metabolic characteristics, including increased lipogenesis, cholesterogenesis, and reliance on glutamine. The tumor microenvironment also plays a role in cancer progression through interactions between cancer and stromal cells. The use of multi-omic approaches can provide a comprehensive understanding of the metabolic changes in prostate cancer.