Biomedical Research Institute, A Coruña University Hospital, As Xubias 84, 15006 A Coruña, Spain.
Int J Endocrinol. 2010;2010. doi: 10.1155/2010/205357. Epub 2010 Jul 18.
Sugars, primarily glucose and fructose, are the main energy source of cells. Because of their hydrophilic nature, cells use a number of transporter proteins to introduce sugars through their plasma membrane. Cancer cells are well known to display an enhanced sugar uptake and consumption. In fact, sugar transporters are deregulated in cancer cells so they incorporate higher amounts of sugar than normal cells. In this paper, we compile the most significant data available about biochemical and biological properties of sugar transporters in normal tissues and we review the available information about sugar carrier expression in different types of cancer. Moreover, we describe the possible pharmacological interactions between drugs currently used in anticancer therapy and the expression or function of facilitative sugar transporters. Finally, we also go into the insights about the future design of drugs targeted against sugar utilization in cancer cells.
糖，主要是葡萄糖和果糖，是细胞的主要能量来源。由于其亲水性，细胞使用许多转运蛋白将糖通过质膜导入细胞内。众所周知，癌细胞具有增强的糖摄取和消耗能力。事实上，癌细胞中的糖转运蛋白失调，因此它们摄取的糖比正常细胞多。在本文中，我们汇总了关于正常组织中糖转运蛋白的生化和生物学特性的最有意义的数据，并综述了不同类型癌症中糖载体表达的现有信息。此外，我们还描述了目前用于癌症治疗的药物与促进性糖转运蛋白的表达或功能之间可能存在的药理相互作用。最后，我们还探讨了针对癌细胞中糖利用的药物设计的未来思路。
