Glyoxalase I in Tumor Cell Proliferation and Survival and as a Potential Target for Anticancer Therapy

Glyoxalase I (GLO1) belongs to the glyoxalase system, which catalyzes the conversion of deleterious methylglyoxal, mainly produced by glycolysis, to non-toxic D-lactate. The expression of GLO1 was up-regulated in tumor tissues with high metabolic rate, whereas inhibition of GLO1 expression led to the accumulation of glyoxal and methylglyoxal, significantly inducing cell damage or apoptosis. This suggests that GLO1 may play an important role in tumor cell proliferation and survival, and may represent a potential therapeutic target for tumors. Moreover, overexpression of GLO1 was associated with multidrug resistance in cancer chemotherapy. This review describes the role of GLO1 in tumor cell proliferation and survival, and the potential of GLO1 as a biomarker for tumor diagnosis and as a target for anticancer drug development.