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Grasping for aspartate in tumour metabolism

Nature Cell Biology volume 20, pages 738–739 (2018)Cite this article

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The metabolic phenotype of tumours is shaped by a complex interplay between cancer cells and their microenvironment. Two studies now show that aspartate acquisition is a metabolic limitation encountered by certain tumours in their native in vivo environment, and that overcoming this limitation is advantageous for tumour growth.

The anabolic requirements of tumour growth are fulfilled by cell-intrinsic alterations in biosynthetic pathways and by metabolic dialogue between tumour cells and their microenvironment for access to nutrients and oxygen1,2. The tumour microenvironment is, in turn, influenced by the tissue of origin and systemic metabolism of the host. This poses an important question, what is the actual metabolic limitation tumours need to overcome for growth in vivo? Given the metabolic heterogeneity at the level of nutrient preference and nutrient access in different tumour types, it is unlikely that the answer to this question will be universally applicable to all tumours. Yet, this line of investigation will significantly advance our holistic understanding of tumour metabolism, and provide important context for therapeutic considerations when translating knowledge gained from basic cancer cell metabolic biology to the clinic. In this issue of Nature Cell Biology, Sullivan et al. and Garcia-Bermudez et al. report that aspartate is a natural limitation for the growth of some tumours in vivo. Consequently, strategies that overcome this limitation are sufficient to promote tumour growth3,4.

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Fig. 1: Schematic summary of strategies used by Sullivan et al. and Garcia-Bermudez et al. to overcome limitations in aspartate acquisition in tumours.

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  1. Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    Accalia Fu & Nika N. Danial

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  1. Accalia Fu
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  2. Nika N. Danial
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Correspondence to Nika N. Danial.

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Fu, A., Danial, N.N. Grasping for aspartate in tumour metabolism. Nat Cell Biol 20, 738–739 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41556-018-0137-9

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