Warburg effect: cancer cells metabolism

Abstract

Prva istraživanja energetskog metabolizma tumora provodila su se 1922. godine u laboratoriju Otto Warburga. Warburg je ustanovio specifičan metabolizam stanica raka čija je karakteristika prijelaz s respiracije na fermentaciju - nazvan je Warburg-ov efekt. Wrburgov efekt predstavlja glavni razlog transformacije normalnih stanica u tumorske stanice. Tumorske stanice održavaju visoku razinu glikolize, čak i u uvjetima kada je doprema kisika stanicama dostatna, te akumuliraju velike količine laktata. Smatra se da je ovaj efekt važan za besmrtnost i transformaciju stanica, te omogućuje rezistentnost tumorskih stanica na oksidativni stres i adaptaciju stanica na uvjete hipoksije. Od vremena kada je otkriven ovaj fenomen, odvijala su se mnoga istraživanja koja su pomogla dubljem shvaćanju ovoga procesa. Bolje shvaćanje procesa iznjedrilo je mogućnosti dijagnoze i terapije, no još uvijek Warburgov efekt ne poznajemo dovoljno dobro. Ovaj rad predstavlja pregled činjenica i perspektive Warburg-ovog efekta u 21. stoljeću.One of the first studies on the energy metabolism of tumors was carried out in 1922, in the laboratory of Otto Warburg. He established that cancer cells exhibited a specific metabolic pattern, characterized by a shift from respiration to fermentation, which has been later named the Warburg effect, and that this is the main cause why normal cells become tumor cells. Here cells maintain a high glycolytic rate even in conditions of adequate oxygen supply, and accumulate large amounts of lactate. This seems to be important in immortalization and transformation of cell as it renders cells resistant to oxidative stress and adaptive to hypoxic condition. Considerable work has been done since Warburg first discovered this phenomenon, deepening our understanding of the process, with consequences for diagnosis and therapy, but still Warburg effect is not yet completely understood. This review presents facts and perspectives on the Warburg effect for the 21st century