Metabolic reprogramming is now recognized as a hallmark of cancer, playing a pivotal role in tumor progression, therapeutic resistance, immune evasion, and metastasis. Aberrant metabolic pathways not only support the rapid proliferation of cancer cells but also create vulnerabilities that can be therapeutically targeted. As cancer cells adapt their metabolic networks to meet increased bioenergetic and biosynthetic demands, these pathways present actionable vulnerabilities for targeted therapeutic intervention.
Recent advances in both experimental and computational approaches-including high-throughput omics technologies, systems biology, and bioinformatics, have greatly expanded our understanding of the metabolic landscape in cancer. Integrating mechanistic insights with data-driven discovery holds the key to identifying novel therapeutic targets, predicting treatment response, and designing effective metabolism-based therapies.
This research topic aims to comprehensively explore how targeting dysregulated metabolic pathways can open new avenues for selective and effective cancer therapies by bringing together molecular mechanisms, experimental validation, and bioinformatics-driven discovery.
We welcome submissions of original research, reviews, mini-reviews, perspectives, and clinical studies that focus on, but are not limited to: • Molecular mechanisms of metabolic reprogramming in cancer • Tumor-specific metabolic dependencies and therapeutic vulnerabilities • Targeting glycolysis, glutaminolysis, fatty acid metabolism, and mitochondrial pathways • Role of metabolic rewiring in therapeutic resistance and immune evasion • Oncometabolites and epigenetic regulation of cancer progression • Systems biology approaches to map and model metabolic networks in cancer • Multi-omics integration (genomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics, proteomics) for metabolic profiling • Bioinformatics tools and computational pipelines for identifying metabolic biomarkers and drug targets • Network-based and AI-driven drug discovery for metabolism-focused therapies • Crosstalk between metabolism and oncogenic or tumor suppressor signaling pathways • Tumor microenvironment and metabolic interactions with immune or stromal cells • Development and clinical translation of metabolism-targeting therapeutics • Combination therapies involving metabolic inhibitors, immunotherapy, radiotherapy, or chemotherapy • Predictive modeling and personalized therapy design based on metabolic signatures • Case studies highlighting successful translation of metabolic research into clinical practice
Article types and fees
This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:
Brief Research Report
Case Report
Clinical Trial
Data Report
Editorial
FAIR² Data
FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
General Commentary
Hypothesis and Theory
Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.
Article types
This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:
Brief Research Report
Case Report
Clinical Trial
Data Report
Editorial
FAIR² Data
FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
General Commentary
Hypothesis and Theory
Methods
Mini Review
Opinion
Original Research
Perspective
Review
Systematic Review
Technology and Code
Keywords: Metabolic reprogramming, Therapeutic resistance, Targeted therapy, Cancer metabolism, Systems biology, Immune evasion
Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
