Expression of glucose transporters in epithelial ovarian carcinoma: Correlation with clinical characteristics and tumor angiogenesis

Alteration of glucose metabolism and expression of glucose transporters in ovarian cancer

Aerobic glycolysis also known as the Warburg effect, remains a hallmark of various cancers, including ovarian cancer. Cancer cells undergo metabolic changes to sustain their tumorigenic properties and adapt to environmental conditions, such as hypoxia and nutrient starvation. Altered metabolic pathways not only facilitate ovarian cancer cells' survival and proliferation but also endow them to metastasize, develop resistance to chemotherapy, maintain cancer stem cell phenotype, and escape anti-tumor immune responses. Glucose transporters (GLUTs), which play a pivotal role as the rate-limiting step in glycolysis, are frequently overexpressed in a variety of tumors, including ovarian cancer. Multiple oncoproteins can regulate GLUT proteins, promoting tumor proliferation, migration, and metastasis, either dependent or independent of glycolysis. This review examines the alteration of GLUT proteins, particularly GLUT1, in ovarian cancer and its impact on cancer initiation, progression, and resistance to treatment. Additionally, it highlights the role of these proteins as biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis in ovarian cancer, and delves into novel therapeutic strategies currently under development that target GLUT isoforms.

The “Sweet Spot” of Targeting Tumor Metabolism in Ovarian Cancers

The objective of this review is to explore the metabolomic environment of epithelial ovarian cancer that contributes to chemoresistance and to use this knowledge to identify possible targets for therapeutic intervention. The Warburg effect describes increased glucose uptake and lactate production in cancer cells. In ovarian cancer, we require a better understanding of how cancer cells reprogram their glycogen metabolism to overcome their nutrient deficient environment and become chemoresistant. Glucose metabolism in ovarian cancer cells has been proposed to be influenced by altered fatty acid metabolism, oxidative phosphorylation, and acidification of the tumor microenvironment. We investigate several markers of altered metabolism in ovarian cancer including hypoxia-induced factor 1, VEGF, leptin, insulin-like growth factors, and glucose transporters. We also discuss the signaling pathways involved with these biomarkers including PI3K/AKT/mTOR, JAK/STAT and OXPHOS. This review outlines potential metabolic targets to overcome chemoresistance in ovarian cancer. Continued research of the metabolic changes in ovarian cancer is needed to identify and target these alterations to improve treatment approaches.

PGK1 Is a Key Target for Anti-Glycolytic Therapy of Ovarian Cancer: Based on the Comprehensive Analysis of Glycolysis-Related Genes

Reprogramming of energy metabolism is a key hallmark of cancer, which provides a new research perspective for exploring the development of cancer. However, the most critical target of anti-glycolytic therapy for ovarian cancer remains unclear. Therefore, in the present study, Oncomine, GEPIA, and HPA databases, combined with clinical specimens of different histological types of ovarian cancer were used to comprehensively evaluate the expression levels of glycolysis-related metabolite transporters and enzymes in ovarian cancer. We selected phosphoglycerate kinase 1 (PGK1), which showed the greatest prognostic value in the Kaplan-Meier Plotter database, for subsequent validation. Immunochemistry assays confirmed that PGK1 was highly expressed in ovarian cancer. The PGK1 expression level was an independent risk factor for the survival and prognosis of patients with ovarian cancer. Functional analysis showed that the PGK1 expression level was positively correlated with the infiltration of neutrophils. Cell experiments confirmed that inhibiting PGK1 expression in ovarian cancer cells could reduce the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process, resulting in loss of cell migration and invasion ability. The small molecule NG52 dose-dependently inhibited the proliferation of ovarian cancer cells. In addition, NG52 reduced the EMT process and reversed the Warburg effect by inhibiting PGK1 activity. Therefore, PGK1 is an attractive molecular target for anti-glycolytic therapy of ovarian cancer.

Obesity and Energy Substrate Transporters in Ovarian Cancer-Review

Ovarian cancer is the seventh most common cancer in women. It is characterized by a high mortality rate because of its aggressiveness and advanced stage at the time of diagnosis. It is a nonhomogenous group of neoplasms and, of which the molecular basics are still being investigated. Nowadays, the golden standard in the treatment is debulking cytoreductive surgery combined with platinum-based chemotherapy. We have presented the interactions and the resulting perspectives between fatty acid transporters, glucose transporters and ovarian cancer cells. Studies have shown the association between a lipid-rich environment and cancer progression, which suggests the use of correspondent transporter inhibitors as promising chemotherapeutic agents. This review summarizes preclinical and clinical studies highlighting the role of fatty acid transport proteins and glucose transporters in development, growth, metastasizing and its potential use in targeted therapies of ovarian cancer.

The fiber arrangement of the pathological human tympanic membrane

Aerobic glycolysis is an important metabolic adaptation of cancer cells. There is growing evidence that oxidative phosphorylation is also an active metabolic pathway in many tumors, including in high grade serous ovarian cancer. Metastasized ovarian tumors use fatty acids for their energy needs. There is also evidence of ovarian cancer stem cells privileging oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) for their metabolic needs. Metformin and thiazolidinediones such as rosiglitazone restrict tumor growth by inhibiting specific steps in the mitochondrial electron transport chain. These observations suggest that strategies to interfere with oxidative phosphorylation should be considered for the treatment of ovarian tumors. Here, we review the literature that supports this hypothesis and describe potential agents and critical control points in the oxidative phosphorylation pathway that can be targeted using small molecule agents. In this review, we also discuss potential barriers that can reduce the efficacy of the inhibitors of oxidative phosphorylation.