Investigation of the role of metabolism in tumorigenesis

Cancer cells are voracious consumers of glucose and glutamine, but scientists still do not fully understand whether this metabolic hunger itself helps trigger the disease, or is merely a symptom of genetic mutations. Most cancer research focuses on faulty genes. This programme shifts attention to the fuel supply: the metabolic pathways that cancer cells depend on to grow. The team will systematically switch off metabolic genes in cell cultures and animal models to see which ones actually drive tumour formation. They want to know not just *that* metabolism matters, but *how* specific metabolic changes push a normal cell toward cancer. If the work succeeds, it could reveal new drug targets—molecules that healthy cells need less urgently than cancer cells do, making them safer to attack. The researchers also plan to detect early metabolic changes in urine and blood, which could lead to simple, non-invasive screening tests that catch cancers long before symptoms appear. This is fundamental science. The immediate output will be a clearer map of the metabolic wiring that enables tumour growth. That map will not cure cancer tomorrow, but it will tell drug developers and diagnostic engineers exactly where to look.