CANCER METABOLISM

The metabolism of cancer cells is uniquely programmed to supply energy and substrates for rapid proliferation. Emerging data suggests that autophagy protects cancer cells and drives tumor progression by fueling core metabolic processes during periods of stress. To explore the specific mechanisms that underly this relationship, our laboratory is leveraging mass spectrometry-based metabolite profiling in conjunction with autophagy inhibition and nutritional stress. Our goal is to understand how autophagy regulates major metabolic pathways in order to identify contexts in which therapeutic autophagy inhibition will be most effective.