Hexokinase-II role in tumor growth and targeting therapy

The energy for tumor cells mainly derives from the aerobic glycolysis, that is, the Warburg effect, which also provides a large amount of precursor substances for the growth of tumor cells. Hexokinase-Ⅱ (HK-Ⅱ), highly expressed in tumor tissue, is the rate-limiting enzyme of glycolysis and closely related to the energy metabolism of tumor. Recent studies have showed that HK-Ⅱ not only mediates Warburg effect, but also promotes tumor proliferation by inhibiting tumor cell apoptosis and regulating autophagy. It has been confirmed that blocking HK-Ⅱ gene expression and inhibiting HK-Ⅱ with small molecule inhibitor can kill tumor cells in many kinds of cancer. Agent targeting HK-Ⅱ may become a new generation of targeted drugs. Key words: Hexokinase; Neoplasms; Cell proliferation; Target therapy