Metabolic pathways play important roles in proliferation and differentiation of malignant
cells. 5-Aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleoside (AICAr), a precursor in purine
biosynthesis and a well-established activator of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK),
induces widespread metabolic alterations and is commonly used for dissecting the role of
metabolism in cancer. We have previously reported that AICAr promotes differentiation and
inhibits proliferation of myeloid leukemia cells. Here, using metabolic assays …