Pyruvate Kinase Activity Regulates Cystine Starvation Induced Ferroptosis through Malic Enzyme 1 in Pancreatic Cancer Cells.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is an aggressive cancer with high mortality and limited efficacious therapeutic options. PDAC cells undergo metabolic alterations to survive within a nutrient-depleted tumor microenvironment. One critical metabolic shift in PDAC cells occurs through altered isoform expression of the glycolytic enzyme, pyruvate kinase (PK).