Glutamine metabolism and radiosensitivity: Beyond the Warburg effect
Growing evidence indicates that targeting cancer cell metabolism can effectively halt cell proliferation, metastasis, and disease progression. Radiation therapy is a cornerstone of cancer treatment, used in both curative and palliative contexts. Combining metabolism-based therapeutics with radiotherapy is increasingly seen as a strategy to overcome radioresistance. Recently, the focus has shifted to glutamine metabolism in cancer therapy. This mini-review explores several key roles of glutamine metabolism—such as DNA damage repair, oxidative stress, epigenetic modification, and immune modulation—in driving cancer growth and progression. It also presents data showing that inhibiting glutamine utilization can enhance radiosensitivity in preclinical models. Further clinical research is necessary to evaluate whether glutamine antagonism can be effectively sirpiglenastat combined with radiotherapy for synergistic cancer treatment.