Journal of Bioprocessing & Biotechniques

Cultured mammalian cells are the primary source of biologics. Cellular metabolism has a significant impact on the performance of these cell culture processes in terms of both productivity and product quality attributes. The primary carbon source for cellular biosynthesis and energy generation is glucose. Recent advances in our understanding of the regulation of glucose metabolism in cultured cells are summarised here. Allosteric regulation of the metabolic network, interplay between signalling pathways, and transcription factors enable cells to maintain homeostatic states in widely varying environments. Understanding metabolism regulation holds the key to changing the metabolic regulatory circuit and implementing direct metabolic control over cell culture processes.

One of the most frequently mutated oncogenic pathways in cancer is the MAPK pathway. Although RAS mutations are the most common MAPK changes, changes in downstream components of the pathway, such as the RAF and MEK genes, offer promising therapeutic opportunities. Other alterations in the RAF and MEK genes may provide rarer, but tractable, targets in addition to BRAFV600 mutations, for which several approved therapeutic regimens, exist. Recent studies, however, have demonstrated the complexity of MAPK signalling and highlighted the fact that different alterations in these genes may have strikingly different properties. Understanding the distinct functional properties of specific RAF and MEK alterations, as discussed here, will be critical for developing effective therapeutic approaches for these targets.