LIFe of the sugar-free party in cancer metabolism.

Abstract

Tumor cells can thrive in nutrient-scarce environments. Glucose deprivation can trigger adaptive responses that coordinate cell-cell communication within the tumor microenvironment (TME). Recently, Luciano-Mateo et al. demonstrated that glucose withdrawal promotes cancer cell secretion of the cytokine leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), which exerts protumorigenic effects on the TME.