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. 2021 Jul 14;125(9):1185–1196. doi: 10.1038/s41416-021-01435-5

Fig. 2. Metabolic pathways adopted by cancer cells under varying nutrient conditions.

Fig. 2

The proximity to the vasculature determines the accessibility of cells within solid tumours to nutrients. Cells that are near to the vasculature acquire nutrients and oxygen to fuel anabolic pathways, but cells that are further away have decreased accessibility to nutrients and oxygen and might employ alternative pathways, including oxidation of fatty acids, to meet the bioenergetic demands of proliferation and growth.