The YTHDC1/GLUT3/RNF183 axis forms a positive feedback loop that modulates glucose metabolism and bladder cancer progression

Experimental & Molecular Medicine, Published online: 01 June 2023; doi:10.1038/s12276-023-00997-zUnderstanding the links between glucose metabolism and bladder cancer (BC) may help find novel therapies. High blood sugar and cancer are linked—abundant energy fuels rapid tumor growth—but the mechanisms are not completely understood, especially in BC. Bin Yan at Central South University, Changsha, China, and co-workers investigated how YTHDC1, a protein known to be suppressed by high blood sugar, affects BC. They found that BC tissues had low levels of YTHDC1 which was associated with a poor prognosis. Boosting YTHDC1 levels slowed tumor cell growth by decreasing levels of GLUT3, a glucose transporter that accelerates sugar input to cancer cells. Further investigation revealed a positive feedback loop between the two proteins, because GLUT3 tags YTHDC1 for degradation. These results illuminate how high blood sugar promotes BC growth and suggest possible drug development targets.
Source: Experimental and Molecular Medicine - Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Source Type: research