Isozyme

Amino acid

Biology

Cancer research

Biochemistry

Glutaminolysis

Genetics

Enzyme

Internal medicine

Glutaminase

Medicine

Carcinogenesis

Breast cancer

Suppressor

Disease

Cancer

Cancer cell

Glutamine

Histopathology

Increased glutamine metabolism (glutaminolysis) is a hallmark of cancer and is recognised as a key metabolic change in cancer cells. Breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease with different morphological and molecular subtypes and responses to therapy, and breast cancer cells are known to rewire glutamine metabolism to support survival and proliferation. Glutaminase isoenzymes (GLS and GLS2) are key enzymes for glutamine metabolism. Interestingly, GLS and GLS2 have contrasting functions in tumorigenesis. In this review, we explore the role of glutaminase in cancer, primarily focusing on breast cancer, address the role played by oncogenes and tumour suppressor genes in regulating glutaminase, and discuss current therapeutic approaches to targeting glutaminase.

The role of glutaminase in cancer