Cancer cells have a high demand for cysteine as precursor of the antioxidant, glutathione, that is required to promote cell growth and division. The aim of a recent study by S Kandil, L Brennan, and GJ McBean, was to evaluate the relative contribution of different metabolic pathways to glutathione synthesis in astrocytoma/glioblastoma cells. The major finding was, that glutathione depletion causes a JNK- and p38MAPK -mediated increase in expression of cystathionine-γ-lyase that promotes flux through the transsulfuration pathway to compensate for loss of glutathione in C6 glioma cells. This study has been carried out with cystathionase antibodies supplied by antibodies-online.com.