Cells metabolism alteration is the new hallmark of cancer, as well as an important method for
carcinogenesis investigation. It is well known that the malignant cells switch to aerobic glycolysis pathway
occurring also in healthy proliferating cells. Recently, it was shown that in malignant cells de novo
synthesis of the intracellular fatty acid replaces dietary fatty acids which change the lipid composition of
cancer cells noticeably. These alterations in energy metabolism and structural lipid production explain
the high proliferation rate of malignant tissues. However, metabolic reprogramming affects not only
lipid metabolism but many of the metabolic pathways in the cell. 2-hydroxyglutarate was considered as
cancer cell biomarker and its presence is associated with oxidative stress influencing the mitochondria
functions. Among the variety of metabolite detection methods, mass spectrometry stands out as the most
effective method for simultaneous identification and quantification of the metabolites. As the metabolic
reprogramming is tightly connected with epigenetics and signaling modifications, the evaluation of metabolite
alterations in cells is a promising approach to investigate the carcinogenesis which is necessary
for improving current diagnostic capabilities and therapeutic capabilities. In this paper, we overview
recent studies on metabolic alteration and oncometabolites, especially concerning brain cancer and mass
spectrometry approaches which are now in use for the investigation of the metabolic pathway.
Dimorphism of Trichosporon cutaneum and impact on its lipid production
