Abstract
Cancer cells are mainly dependent on glycolysis for their growth and survival. Dietary carbohydrates play a critical role in the growth and proliferation of cancer and a low-carbohydrate diet may help slow down the growth of tumours. However, the exact mechanisms behind this effect are unclear. This review study aimed to investigate the effect of fat mass and obesity-associated (FTO) gene in the association between dietary carbohydrates and cancer. This study was carried out using keywords such as polymorphism and/or cancer and/or dietary carbohydrate and/or FTO gene. PubMed and Science Direct databases were used to collect all related articles published from 1990 to 2018.Recent studies showed that the level of FTO gene expression in cancer cells is dramatically increased and may play a role in the growth of these cells through the regulation of the cellular metabolic pathways, including the phosphoinositide 3-kinases/protein kinaseB (PI3K/AKT) signaling pathway. Dietary carbohydrate may influence the FTO gene expression by eliminating the inhibitory effect of adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) on the FTO gene expression. This review summarised what has been recently discovered about the effects of dietary carbohydrate on cancer cells and tried to determine the mediating role of the FTO gene in these effects.
Highlights
Recent studies suggested that healthy diet can play a major role in the prevention of cell malignancy, apoptosis of cancer cells and reduced tumour size [1,2,3,4,5,6]
Cancer cells are dependent on their access to glucose for growth and reproduction; controlling blood glucose at an optimal level in cancer patients may be a practical way to avoid increasing the size of a tumour [11]
Cancer cells are dependent on glycolysis for their growth and proliferation
Summary
Recent studies suggested that healthy diet can play a major role in the prevention of cell malignancy, apoptosis of cancer cells and reduced tumour size [1,2,3,4,5,6]. The results of most studies suggest that some part of this effect may be due to the effects of dietary intake on the expression of some of the genes involved in the cell metabolism and division. It is assumed that the amount of nutrients available to the cell may modify the level of expression of some genes associated with cell growth and proliferation [16, 17]. It is possible that dietary components play a major role in the risk of developing cancer through their effects on the expression of certain genes involved in the growth and proliferation of cancer cells [17]. Considering the role of carbohydrates in cancer cell metabolism, this study aimed to investigate the mediating role of the FTO gene in the effect of dietary carbohydrates on cancer cells. The probable molecular mechanisms of the association between the FTO gene and cancer development were reviewed
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
