The Role of the Pentose Phosphate Pathway in Diabetes and Cancer

Tongxin Ge; Jiawen Yang; Shihui Zhou; Yuchen Wang; Yakui Li; Xuemei Tong

doi:10.3389/fendo.2020.00365

The Role of the Pentose Phosphate Pathway in Diabetes and Cancer

Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2020 Jun 9:11:365. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2020.00365. eCollection 2020.

Authors

Tongxin Ge¹, Jiawen Yang¹, Shihui Zhou¹, Yuchen Wang¹, Yakui Li¹, Xuemei Tong¹

Affiliation

¹ Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Cell Biology, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Tumor Microenvironment and Inflammation, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.

Abstract

The pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) branches from glucose 6-phosphate (G6P), produces NADPH and ribose 5-phosphate (R5P), and shunts carbons back to the glycolytic or gluconeogenic pathway. The PPP has been demonstrated to be a major regulator for cellular reduction-oxidation (redox) homeostasis and biosynthesis. Enzymes in the PPP are reported to play important roles in many human diseases. In this review, we will discuss the role of the PPP in type 2 diabetes and cancer.

Keywords: cancer; diabetes; metabolism; obesity; the pentose phosphate pathway.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review

MeSH terms

Animals
Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / metabolism*
Humans
Insulin / metabolism
Insulin Resistance
Neoplasms / metabolism*
Oxidation-Reduction
Oxidative Stress
Pentose Phosphate Pathway*

Substances

Insulin