Inhibition of Cancer Metabolism: a Patent Landscape

Abstract

Cancer metabolism is currently a hot topic. Since it was first realized that cancer cells rely upon an altered metabolic program to sustain their rapid proliferation, the enzymes that support those metabolic changes have appeared to be good targets for pharmacological intervention. Here, we discuss efforts pertaining to targets in cancer metabolism, focusing upon the tricarboxylic acid cycle and the mechanisms which feed nutrients into it. We describe a broad landscape of small-molecule inhibitors, targeting a dozen different proteins, each implicated in cancer progression. We hope that this will serve as a reference both to the areas being most highly examined today and, relatedly, the areas that are still ripe for novel intervention.

Global solutions to a central problem. Researchers across the globe have patented efforts to target enzymes involved in cancer cell metabolism. Pins on the map represent individual research efforts, and are color coded to pathways or proteins. Several interesting small-molecule inhibitors revealed by these efforts are shown.

Keywords:

• cancer
• drug discovery
• glutaminase
• glutaminolysis
• glycolysis
• isocitrate dehydrogenase
• metabolism
• patents
• TCA cycle

Acknowledgments

The authors thank C Westmiller for her skilled assistance in preparing this manuscript. The authors also thank KS Green, M Endo and YH Hur for assistance in translating several of the patents cited in this review, and R Li for proofreading assistance. Furthermore, the authors sincerely apologize to any researcher whose work could not be included in this review due to space or scope constraints.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

Funding for this study was provided by grants from the NIH to RA Cerione (GM122575 and CA201402). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.