Increase in glucose relative to the cells around it. As the glucose goes through glycolysis, instead of going through the CAC, it ferments glucose to lactate under aerobic conditions.
Provides rapid ATP generation (WE)
Pro:
There is an increase in ATP dependent ion pumps
Con:
There is actually less ATP requirements in a proliferating cell in comparison to a regular cell
Provides precursors for biosynthesis (WE)
Pro:
-There has been observed increase in serine production from 3-PG (3-phosphoglycerate)
-It has revealed that formation of serine from Gly increase N5,N10 methylene THF. This is important for synthesis of deoxynucleotides
-Maybe cancer needs in energy in form of reducing power
-Biosynthesis of NADPH from ribose-5-phosphate
Con:
-Most of the carbon ends up in lactate
-There is a very little change in the number of mitochondria
-Increasing glycolysis enzymes is inefficient
-Cell is already extremely packed
Enforces a favorable tumor microenvironment (WE)
Pro:
-Lactate export decreases surrounding pH
-Decreasing pH increases invasiveness
-Increased glucose uptake in cancer can starve surrounding cells
Con:
-Warburg effect in cells is turned on very early, not when cells become invasive
-Unicellular yeast prefers aerobic glycolysis and they are not cancer
Controls generation of reactive oxygen species (WE)
Less mitochondrial use, means that the electron transport chain utilization is lowered resulting in fewer oxygen species
Cell life damaged less frequently because oxygen radicals are very damaging