Serine and one-
carbon unit metabolisms are essential biochemical pathways implicated in fundamental cellular functions such as proliferation, biosynthesis of important anabolic precursors and in general for the availability of methyl groups. These two distinct but interacting pathways are now becoming crucial in
cancer, the de novo cytosolic
serine pathway and the mitochondrial one-
carbon metabolism. Apart from their role in physiological conditions, such as epithelial proliferation, the
serine metabolism alterations are associated to several highly neoplastic proliferative pathologies. Accordingly,
prostate cancer shows a deep rearrangement of its metabolism, driven by the dependency from the androgenic stimulus. Several new experimental evidence describes the role of a few of the
enzymes involved in the
serine metabolism in
prostate cancer pathogenesis. The aim of this study is to analyze gene and
protein expression data publicly available from large
cancer specimens dataset, in order to further dissect the potential role of the abovementioned metabolism in the complex reshaping of the anabolic environment in this kind of
neoplasm. The data suggest a potential role as
biomarkers as well as in
cancer therapy for the genes (and
enzymes) belonging to the one-
carbon metabolism in the context of
prostatic cancer.