The emerging role of glucose-6- phosphate dehydrogenase in cancer: a novel potential therapeutic target?

Cancer cells generally exhibit re-programming of their pathways. The expression of certain genes that directly control the rate of key metabolic pathways are drastically altered. Indeed, cancer cells show high rates of aerobic glycolysis (known as the Warburg effect) and an increase in pentose phosphate pathway activity due to the up-regulation of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) in comparison to their non-transformed counterparts. These alterations are usually considered as an adaptation of tumor cells;
however, they also contribute to the progression of tumor cells towards more aggressive phenotypes. Here we will discuss the critical role of G6PD in neoplastic transformation focusing on its potential utility as diagnostic marker as well as a novel potential therapeutic target.