Carcinogenic cells undergo a metabolic rewiring during oncogenesis, and oncometabolites play an important role. In cancer, there are several reprogrammed metabolic pathways that help cells survive when nutrients are scarce: Aerobic glycolysis, an increase in glycolytic flux, also known as the Warburg effect, allows glycolytic intermediates to supply subsidiary pathways to meet the metabolic demands of proliferating tumorigenic cells. Another studied reprogrammed pathway is gain of function of the oncogene MYC. This gene encodes a transcription factor that boosts the expression of a number of genes involved in anabolic growth via mitochondrial metabolism. Oncometabolite production is another example of metabolic deregulation.