Cysteine is a limiting factor for glioma proliferation and survival

Nutritional intervention is becoming more prevalent as adjuvant therapy for many cancers in view of the tumor dependence on external sources for some nutrients. However, little is known about the mechanisms that make cancer cells require certain nutrients from the microenvironment. Herein, we report the dependence of glioma cells on exogenous cysteine/cystine, despite this amino acid being nonessential. Using several 13 C-tracers and analysis of...