Role of glycolysis in inflammatory bowel disease and its associated colorectal cancer

Yuxuan Xia; Li Zhang; Dickson Kofi Wiredu Ocansey; Qiang Tu; Fei Mao; Xiumei Sheng

doi:10.3389/fendo.2023.1242991

Role of glycolysis in inflammatory bowel disease and its associated colorectal cancer

Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2023 Oct 10:14:1242991. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1242991. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Yuxuan Xia¹, Li Zhang², Dickson Kofi Wiredu Ocansey^{1

3}, Qiang Tu⁴, Fei Mao¹, Xiumei Sheng¹

Affiliations

¹ Key Laboratory of Medical Science and Laboratory Medicine of Jiangsu Province, School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, China.
² Nanjing Lishui People's Hospital, Zhongda Hospital Lishui Branch, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
³ Directorate of University Health Services, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana.
⁴ Clinical Laboratory, Nanjing Jiangning Hospital, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.

Abstract

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has been referred to as the "green cancer," and its progression to colorectal cancer (CRC) poses a significant challenge for the medical community. A common factor in their development is glycolysis, a crucial metabolic mechanism of living organisms, which is also involved in other diseases. In IBD, glycolysis affects gastrointestinal components such as the intestinal microbiota, mucosal barrier function, and the immune system, including macrophages, dendritic cells, T cells, and neutrophils, while in CRC, it is linked to various pathways, such as phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT, AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), and transcription factors such as p53, Hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF), and c-Myc. Thus, a comprehensive study of glycolysis is essential for a better understanding of the pathogenesis and therapeutic targets of both IBD and CRC. This paper reviews the role of glycolysis in diseases, particularly IBD and CRC, via its effects on the intestinal microbiota, immunity, barrier integrity, signaling pathways, transcription factors and some therapeutic strategies targeting glycolytic enzymes.

Keywords: colorectal cancer; glycolysis; immunity; inflammatory bowel disease; intestinal.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

Colorectal Neoplasms* / etiology
Glycolysis
Humans
Inflammatory Bowel Diseases*
Signal Transduction
Transcription Factors

Substances

Transcription Factors

Grants and funding

This study was sponsored by the National Natural Science Fund of China (Grant no. 82250410378), the 2022 Jiangsu Excellent postdoctoral program (Grant no. 2022ZB634), and the Project of Suzhou Science and Technology (Grant no. SKY2022027).