Metabolic adaptations of brain metastasis

Abstract

Brain metastases remain a major clinical challenge, characterized by high mortality rates and often limited therapeutic options. The cellular and molecular processes that drive brain metastases are highly intricate, underscored by dynamic metabolic adaptations that enable tumour cells to thrive in the unique microenvironment of the brain. Emerging clinical and preclinical evidence reveals that these metabolic adaptations are not uniform but vary based on the tumour’s tissue of origin, oncogenomic landscape and capacity to endure nutrient stress. Notably, proliferative and dormant metastatic cells within the brain exhibit distinct metabolic profiles, highlighting the complexity of targeting these cells. Key metabolic pathways, including glucose, fatty acid and amino acid metabolism, are co-opted not only to sustain cancer cell survival and growth but also to modulate interactions with resident brain cells, reshaping their function to support metastasis. Importantly, this metabolic heterogeneity underscores the inadequacy of a one-size-fits-all therapeutic approach. Here, we review the adaptive metabolic reprogramming that facilitates brain metastases and discuss emerging strategies to tailor interventions aimed at preventing and treating overt brain metastases. In this Review, Parida and Malladi summarize the metabolic adaptations of tumour cells upon dissemination to the brain, outline the metabolic crosstalk between cancer and brain-resident cells and discuss potential strategies to target these adaptations to improve outcomes for patients with brain metastasis.