Here we optimize tracer infusion approaches to measure the rates of glycolysis and the TCA cycle in healthy mouse tissues, Kras-mutant solid tumours, metastases and leukaemia.

We propose that, as solid tumours develop, cancer cells shed energetically expensive tissue-specific functions, enabling uncontrolled growth despite a limited ability to produce ATP.

Caroline R. Bartman, Daniel R. Weilandt, Yihui Shen, Won Dong Lee, Tara TeSlaa, Connor S. R. Jankowski, Laith Samarah, Argit Marishta, Lin Wang, Lifeng Yang, Asael Roichman, Xi Xing, Wenyun Lu, Martin Wühr & Joshua D. Rabinowitz

Caroline R. Bartman, Daniel R. Weilandt, Yihui Shen, Won Dong Lee, Tara TeSlaa, Connor S. R. Jankowski, Laith Samarah, Noel R. Park, Lin Wang, Lifeng Yang, Asael Roichman, Xi Xing, Wenyun Lu, Shawn Davidson & Joshua D. Rabinowitz

Caroline R. Bartman, Daniel R. Weilandt, Yujiao Han, Tara TeSlaa, Connor S. R. Jankowski, Laith Samarah, Lin Wang, Lifeng Yang, Asael Roichman, Xi Xing, Wenyun Lu, Yibin Kang & Joshua D. Rabinowitz

Victoria da Silva-Diz, Maya Aleksandrova, Vrushank Bhatt, Taijin Lan, Zhixian Hu, Daniel Herranz & Jessie Yanxiang Guo