ME2 and cancer: Malic enzymes, located in cytoplasm (ME1) and mitochondria (ME2 and ME3), catalyse the oxidative decarboxylation of malate to pyruvate while concurrently generating NADPH from NADP.244,245 Like the pentose phosphate pathway, MEs are upregulated in various cancer cell lines.246,247 Genomic deletion of ME2, which diminishes NADPH production, consequently induces higher levels of reactive oxygen species and cell death in pancreatic cancer cells.247