Implications of receptor for advanced glycation end products for progression from obesity to diabetes and from diabetes to cancer

Obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are chronic pathologies with a high incidence worldwide. They share some pathological mechanisms, including hyperinsulinemia, the production and release of hormones, and hyperglycemia. The above, over time, affects other systems of the human body by causing tissue hypoxia, low-grade inflammation, and oxidative stress, which lay the pathophysiological groundwork for cancer. The leading causes of death globally are T2DM and cancer. Other main alterations of this pathological triad include the accumulation of advanced glycation end products and the release of endogenous alarmins due to cell death (i.e., damage-associated molecular patterns) such as the intracellular proteins high-mobility group box protein 1 and protein S100 that bind to the receptor for advanced glycation products (RAGE) - a multiligand receptor involved in inflammatory and metabolic and neoplastic processes. This review analyzes the latest advanced reports on the role of RAGE in the development of obesity, T2DM, and cancer, with an aim to understand the intracellular signaling mechanisms linked with cancer initiation. This review also explores inflammation, oxidative stress, hypoxia, cellular senescence, RAGE ligands, tumor microenvironment changes, and the cancer hallmarks of the leading tumors associated with T2DM. The assimilation of this information could aid in the development of diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to lower the morbidity and mortality associated with these diseases.

Automated summary

Obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are chronic diseases that have a high incidence globally. They have shared pathological mechanisms that can lead to the development of cancer. The review focuses on the role of the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) in obesity, T2DM, and cancer, aiming to understand the intracellular signaling mechanisms involved in cancer initiation and to develop diagnostic and therapeutic strategies to reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with these diseases.