Abstract: Glutamine, as a conditionally essential amino acid of many kinds of tumors, has a great influence on the occurrence and development of tumors. In recent years, the research on glutamine metabolism has made rapid progress, and many related drugs have been in preclinical and clinical research. Glutamine is involved in energy generation, redox balance, macromolecular synthesis and signal transmission in tumor cells. Transporters and metabolic enzymes of glutamine are potential targets for tumor treatment. This paper reviews the anti-tumor drugs based on glutamine metabolism and provides guidance for the development of new drugs. 

Key words: glutamine metabolism, tumor, glutaminase inhibitor, glutamine transporter inhibitor