PDK1 and cancer: Recently, an increasingly recognized link between oncogenic proteins (for example, HIF-1 or its cooperation with dysregulated c-Myc) and pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 1 (PDK1), a molecular switch that diminishes mitochondrial respiration and enhances aerobic glycolysis via phosphorylating and inactivating pyruvate dehydrogenase, has provided a glimpse into the molecular basis of the metabolic reprogramming that occurs in cancer cells.