Abstract
An important hallmark in cancer cells is the increase in glucose uptake. GLUT1 is an important target in cancer treatment because cancer cells upregulate GLUT1, a membrane protein that facilitates the basal uptake of glucose in most cell types, to ensure the flux of sugar into metabolic pathways. The dysregulation of GLUT1 is associated with numerous disorders, including cancer and metabolic diseases. There are natural products emerging as a source for inhibitors of glucose uptake, and resveratrol is a molecule of natural origin with many properties that acts as antioxidant and antiproliferative in malignant cells. In the present review, we discuss how GLUT1 is involved in the general scheme of cancer cell metabolism, the mechanism of glucose transport, and the importance of GLUT1 structure to understand the inhibition process. Then, we review the current state-of-the-art of resveratrol and other natural products as GLUT1 inhibitors, focusing on those directed at treating different types of cancer. Targeting GLUT1 activity is a promising strategy for the development of drugs aimed at treating neoplastic growth.
Highlights
An important element in the glucose metabolism of cancer cells is the uptake of glucose
This review focuses on the importance of RSV and other small inhibitors having glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1) as the principal target in the cancer cell
Of which strategy is followed by a cancer cell, a hallmark of cancer is the increase in glucose uptake, and taking advantage of this fact, the positron emission tomography (PET) has been used for cancer diagnostic with the glucose analog 2-(18F)-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG) as a tracer of glucose uptake [43]
Summary
An important element in the glucose metabolism of cancer cells is the uptake of glucose This process is well-regulated and involves several elements, such as the effect of signaling growth factors [1] and the interaction with the extracellular matrix [2,3]. There are controversial reports of oxidant and antioxidant activities of RSV. This review focuses on the importance of RSV and other small inhibitors having GLUT1 as the principal target in the cancer cell. We summarize the numerous studies that have been focused on developing specific inhibitors of the activity of GLUT1, with special emphasis in natural compounds such as RSV. It is interesting to investigate the possibility of using natural drugs such as RSV in combinatorial treatment in order to reduce the side effects and improve cancer treatments
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 call
