The metabolic phenotype of tumours is shaped by a complex interplay between cancer cells and their microenvironment. Two studies now show that aspartate acquisition is a metabolic limitation encountered by certain tumours in their native in vivo environment, and that overcoming this limitation is advantageous for tumour growth.
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Fu, A., Danial, N.N. Grasping for aspartate in tumour metabolism. Nat Cell Biol 20, 738–739 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41556-018-0137-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41556-018-0137-9