Warburg effect

Topic

The Warburg effect is the observation that most cancer cells predominantly produce energy through a high rate of glycolysis followed by lactic acid fermentation in the cytosol, rather than through the comparatively low rate of glycolysis followed by oxidation of pyruvate in mitochondria as in most normal cells. This metabolic shift occurs even in the presence of abundant oxygen, a phenomenon known as aerobic glycolysis. First described by Nobel laureate Otto Heinrich Warburg, it serves as a foundational concept in cancer metabolism and oncology.