B-Cell Receptor Signaling Drives Glycolysis In Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Cells

A key feature of tumor cell energetics is preferential metabolism of glucose to lactate even in the presence of oxygen (aerobic glycolysis). While this is an inefficient way of producing energy, it enables cancer cells to use glucose to generate biomass to support cellular proliferation. It is unclear whether this process is playing a role in the pathogenesis of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Previous studies have noted that CLL cells have increased numbers of mitochondria when compared with healthy B cells (Carew Leukaemia 2004, Jitschin Blood 2014). As CLL cells have increased expression of lipoprotein lipase it has been hypothesized that CLL cells adopt a predominantly mitochondrial metabolism.