A pan-cancer analysis of molecular characteristics and oncogenic role of hexokinase family genes in human tumors.

Hexokinase (HK) plays a key role in various biological processes such as glycolysis of tumor cells. However, there is still a lack of systematic understanding of the contribution of HK family genes in different types of cancer. In the present study, we systematically analyzed the molecular changes and clinical correlations of HK family genes in 33 types of cancer extracted from more than 10,000 subjects. As a result, there were extensive genetic changes in HK family genes and the expression levels of HK family were significantly correlated with the activity of cancer marker-related pathways. In addition, HK family genes may be useful in predicting prognosis and therapeutic efficacy. Moreover, HK1,HK2 and HK3 may become potential oncogenes across a variety of cancer types. Furthermore, the oncogenic functions of HK1 in bladder cancer have been confirmed in vitro. Collectively, our results provide valuable resources to guide the mechanism and therapeutic analysis concerning the role of HK family genes in cancer.