Glucose transporters: Important regulators of endometrial cancer therapy sensitivity

Glucose is of great importance in cancer cellular metabolism. Working together with several glucose transporters (GLUTs), it provides enough energy for biological growth. The main glucose transporters in endometrial cancer (EC) are Class 1 (GLUTs 1-4) and Class 3 (GLUTs 6 and 8), and the overexpression of these GLUTs has been observed. Apart from providing abundant glucose uptake, these highly expressed GLUTs also participate in the activation of many crucial signaling pathways concerning the proliferation, angiogenesis, and metastasis of EC. In addition, overexpressed GLUTs may also cause endometrial cancer cells (ECCs) to be insensitive to hormone therapy or even resistant to radiotherapy and chemoradiotherapy. Therefore, GLUT inhibitors may hopefully become a sensitizer for EC precision-targeted therapies. This review aims to summarize the expression regulation, function, and therapy sensitivity of GLUTs in ECCs, aiming to provide a new clue for better diagnosis and treatment of EC.

Automated summary

Glucose plays a crucial role in the metabolism of endometrial cancer cells (ECCs). Overexpressed glucose transporters (GLUTs) in ECCs not only provide abundant glucose uptake, but also participate in the activation of important signaling pathways involved in proliferation, angiogenesis, and metastasis. In addition, the overexpression of GLUTs may lead to hormone therapy resistance and resistance to radiotherapy and chemoradiotherapy in ECCs. GLUT inhibitors hold promise as sensitizers in precision-targeted therapies for endometrial cancer (EC).