Turning off pyruvate kinase in cancer cells slows ATP production and diverts glycolysis intermediates to synthesize molecules needed for growth.

“So the idea that there was something more complicated than that was really what we were discussing in that review, that there was a way to regulate steps in glycolysis that would divert intermediates in glycolysis from making ATP to The carbon atoms of glycolysis would go into lipid synthesis, serine synthesis, glycine synthesis.”

“That's sort of what happens if you turn off pyruvate kinase. Then you slow down ATP production. That means there's less ATP made. That means glycolysis, a part of glycolysis continue. But instead of going to make more ATP, it goes off to make serine and glycine and ribose and lipids.”