Inhibition of glucose transporters and glutaminase synergistically impairs tumor cell growth

ES Reckzeh, G Karageorgis, M Schwalfenberg… - Cell chemical …, 2019 - cell.com
ES Reckzeh, G Karageorgis, M Schwalfenberg, J Ceballos, J Nowacki, MCM Stroet, A Binici…
Cell chemical biology, 2019cell.com
Cancer cells sustain growth by altering their metabolism to accelerated aerobic glycolysis
accompanied by increased glucose demand and employ glutamine as additional nutrient
source. This metabolic adaptation induces upregulation of glucose transporters GLUT-1 and-
3, and simultaneous targeting of both transporters and of glutamine metabolism may offer a
promising approach to inhibit cancer cell growth. We describe the discovery of the very
potent glucose uptake inhibitor Glutor, which targets glucose transporters GLUT-1,-2, and-3 …
Summary
Cancer cells sustain growth by altering their metabolism to accelerated aerobic glycolysis accompanied by increased glucose demand and employ glutamine as additional nutrient source. This metabolic adaptation induces upregulation of glucose transporters GLUT-1 and -3, and simultaneous targeting of both transporters and of glutamine metabolism may offer a promising approach to inhibit cancer cell growth. We describe the discovery of the very potent glucose uptake inhibitor Glutor, which targets glucose transporters GLUT-1, -2, and -3, attenuates glycolytic flux and potently and selectively suppresses growth of a variety of cancer cell lines. Co-treatment of colon cancer cells with Glutor and glutaminase inhibitor CB-839 very potently and synergistically inhibits cancer cell growth. Such a dual inhibition promises to be particularly effective because it targets the metabolic plasticity as well as metabolic rescue mechanisms in cancer cells.
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