Metabolic signatures of cancer cells and stem cells

In contrast to terminally differentiated cells, cancer cells and stem cells retain the ability to re-enter the cell cycle and proliferate. To proliferate, cells must increase their uptake and catabolism of nutrients to support anabolic cell growth. Intermediates of central metabolic pathways have emerged as key players that influence cell-differentiation ‘decisions’, processes relevant to both oncogenesis and normal development. Consequently, how cells rewire metabolic pathways to support proliferation can have profound consequences for cellular identity. Here, we discuss the metabolic programs that support proliferation, and we explore how metabolic states are intimately entwined with the cell-fate decisions that characterize stem cells and cancer cells. By comparing the metabolism of pluripotent stem cells and cancer cells, we hope to illuminate common metabolic strategies as well as distinct metabolic features that may represent specialized adaptations to unique cellular demands. Like stem cells, cancer cells can rapidly proliferate but, unlike stem cells, they are mostly locked into a malignant identity. Here, Finley and Intlekofer highlight commonalities in anabolic pathways that support proliferation in cancer and stem cells, and point out unique metabolic features that influence self-renewal and differentiation.