Kumar · MedComm 2025 · narrative review · n=?

Glutamine Metabolism: Molecular Regulation, Biological Functions, and Diseases.

Cited 34 times in the scientific literature.

Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data

Narrative review of molecular mechanisms and preclinical therapeutics without systematic review methodology or new human data.

PubMed 40567251 · doi:10.1002/mco2.70120 · record verified 2026-08-29

What was done

This narrative review summarizes literature on glutaminolysis, detailing how noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs and circRNAs) and oncogenic alterations influence glutamine transporters and enzymes. It also reviews targeted inhibitors and ongoing clinical trials aimed at disrupting glutamine metabolism in cancer, metabolic disorders, and neurological conditions.

What was found

The abstract provides no numerical data. It descriptively reports that alterations in glutamine pathways allow cells to utilize glutamine as an alternative fuel source under nutrient- and oxygen-deprived conditions, and that targeted inhibitors of glutaminolysis enzymes and transporters are being developed and tested in clinical trials.

Why it matters

The paper compiles mechanistic pathways and therapeutic strategies focused on glutamine metabolism, linking RNA-level regulation to small-molecule inhibitor development for oncology and other diseases.

Limits

As a narrative review, it presents no original experimental data, quantitative synthesis, or meta-analysis. The abstract provides no specific study metrics, sample sizes, or formal risk-of-bias evaluation of the reviewed literature.

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