GLUT1 expression is increased in hepatocellular carcinoma and promotes tumorigenesis

In the 1920s Otto Warburg made the surprising observation that tumor cells utilize glycolysis instead of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation for glucose metabolism even when in oxygen-rich conditions. Recently, the "Warburg effect" has a revival since it has been shown that aerobic glycolysis governs tumor cell biology, but studies addressing this issue in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are missing so far. Here, we analyzed in HCC the expression and function of glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1), which regulates the cellular uptake of glucose, and hexokinase II (HKII) the first enzymes of the glycolytic pathway.…