Targeting tumor glycolysis through carbohydrate restriction
| Factors promoting glycolysis | CHO restriction as a metabolic strategy to target these factors |
|---|---|
| High blood glucose levels (Up-regulation of glycolytic enzymes) | Blood glucose ↓, fatty acids ↑ (Fatty acids inhibit key glycolytic enzymes) |
| Hypoxia | Blood glucose ↓, ketones ↑ (Poor nutrient supply to hypoxic cells; hypoxic cells unable to efficiently oxidize ketones) |
| Oncogenic signaling (Insulin/IGF-1-PI3K-Akt-mTOR) | Blood glucose ↓, insulin ↓ (Counteracts PI3K pathway; also activates AMPK, inhibiting mTOR) |
| Ketones ↑ (Class I and II HDAC inhibitors) | |
| Inflammation (High blood glucose levels and ROS promote inflammatory cytokine release) | Blood glucose ↓ (Decreases ROS and inflammation) |