Introduction: Adaptations of eukaryotic cells to environmental changes are important for their survival. However, under some circumstances, microenvironmental changes promote that eukaryotic cells utilize a metabolic signature resembling a unicellular organism named the Warburg effect. Most cancer cells share the Warburg effect displaying lactic fermentation and high glucose uptake. The Warburg effect also induces a metabolic rewiring stimulating glutamine consumption and lipid synthesis, also considered cancer hallmarks. Amino acid metabolism alteration due to the Warburg effect increases plasma levels of proline and branched-chain amino acids in several cancer types. Proline and lipids are probably used as electron transfer molecules in carcinogenic cells. In addition, branched-chain amino acids fuel the Krebs cycle, protein synthesis, and signaling in cancer cells.
Areas covered: This review covers how metabolomics studies describe changes in some metabolites and proteins associated with the Warburg effect and related metabolic pathways.
Expert opinion: In this review, we analyze the metabolic signature of the Warburg effect and related phenotypes and propose some Warburg effect-related metabolites and proteins (lactate, glucose uptake, glucose transporters, glutamine, branched-chain amino acids, proline, and some lipogenic enzymes) as promising cancer biomarkers.
Keywords: Biomarker; Warburg effect; cancer; diagnosis; metabolism; molecular prognosis.