Glucose and Cancer

[landcrab]

Cancer & sugar: Spanish scientists prove the link

After many years of speculation and investigation, research scientists at the Bellvitge-IDIBELL Hospital and the University of Barcelona (UB) have finally demonstrated the involvement of glucose in the growth of tumour cells and have described how the availability of nutrients and oncogenic signal pathways link molecularly.

It is, according to the researchers, an "important step forward" in understanding the molecular mechanism that reprograms the cell in the formation of tumours.

The work, published by the journal 'Science', has deciphered the path through which glucose enhances the growth of cells, which must grow and reach a critical size in order to divide.

According to the researchers, promoting biosynthetic processes, such as the production of proteins and lipids, copying the genetic material and suppressing degradation pathways of biomolecules, the cells get ready to proliferate. These processes are regulated by a key protein: the so-called mTOR, which, according to the scientists, plays a crucial role in metabolic reprogramming.

The research team, led by Albert Tauler, a member of the Faculty of Pharmacy and Health Sciences of the UB, has demonstrated how this cell growth occurs and isolated the genetic signals of the E2F1 oncogene, which promotes uncontrolled division of the tumour cell.

Specifically, the work describes the activating interaction of two glycolytic enzymes (PFKFB3 and PFK1) with the mTOR complex, which converge on the surface of cellular organelles called lysosomes. Lysosomes are membrane-coated organelles, which contain a large number of enzymes capable of breaking down macromolecules.

The research concludes that PFKFB3 and PFK1 are the link between glucose availability and mTOR activation, and show the importance of lysosomes as essential signaling platforms to regulate metabolic reprogramming, inherent in tumour formation and growth.

According to the researchers, the importance of this study lies in the description of a new way of regulating this protein that will pave the way for different approaches to cancer treatment.

[LearnAll]

Is this only Glucose which facilitates cancer cell growth OR it is also Fructose (fruit sugar) ?

[billyboy3]

There is so much yet to learn about PC and its many variants. The sad news on this front is the lack of those involved in PC research actively sharing data etc. and building on each other's work. Big bucks to be made for the person who made PC a chronic disease, but this rational pales in light of the many thousands of lives lost each year, when perhaps, with all researchers working together, the puzzle could be solved!!! Maybe, in our lifetime things will change.

[2dee]

I pretty much eat no added sugar and minimize my sugar overall.

My Glucose currently remains high at 128, (range 65-99 ok). Only within range when my APCa the most aggressive first 8 months of 2018. Go figure. Cancer must have been eating it up then so it wasn't being expressed in labs?

2Dee

[binati]

I think it is too facile to think based on research being done that your low sugar was caused by glucose being used by cancer. I have a family history of diabetes and have always controlled my sugar input. Yet, I have an agressive PCa with rapid growth. Much more research is needed before we will know the complete mechanism and how to control the growth of the tumour.

[Currumpaw]

Hey landcrab!

Thanks! The link?

Been know awhile.

Dr. Klotz, Dr. Meyers, LifeExtension articles with supporting research.

Observation of off label use of Metformin! The doctors that have that observational ability and connect other effects a drug has in a positive way have helped so many.

Lysosomes are the cell's "cleaners". They dispose of waste. The lysosomes and saprophytic bacteria cause decomposition after death.

An approach from a different direction?

Currumpaw

[GeorgesCalvez]

Glucose is effectively the cash in hand of the body with many of the other metabolic processes that are involved in energy production and storage working towards maintaining an optimum level of glucose in the blood.

Glucose is needed by cancer cells but it is needed by every other cell in the body as well.

If there was a simple link between glucose and cancer then you would expect diabetics to have a much higher rate of all cancer than non diabetics but this is not the case.

Type 2 diabetics have higher rate of cancers like colon cancer that are also associated with obesity but they have slightly lower rates of prostate cancer.