How Do Cancer Cells Utilize the TCA Cycle for Growth?
Despite their reliance on glycolysis, cancer cells still require the TCA cycle for anabolic processes. The TCA cycle intermediates are siphoned off for the synthesis of nucleotides, amino acids, and fatty acids. Cancer cells often display increased glutamine metabolism, where glutamine is converted to glutamate and then to α-ketoglutarate, replenishing TCA cycle intermediates through anaplerotic reactions.
