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World J Gastroenterol. Oct 14, 2014; 20(38): 13705-13717
Published online Oct 14, 2014. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i38.13705
Mechanisms of regulation of PFKFB expression in pancreatic and gastric cancer cells
Oleksandr H Minchenko, Katsuya Tsuchihara, Dmytro O Minchenko, Andreas Bikfalvi, Hiroyasu Esumi
Oleksandr H Minchenko, Dmytro O Minchenko, Department of Molecular Biology, Palladin Institute of Biochemistry, Kiev 01601, Ukraine
Katsuya Tsuchihara, Hiroyasu Esumi, Department of Innovative Oncology, National Cancer Center, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8577, Japan
Dmytro O Minchenko, Department of Pediatrics, Bogomolets National Medical University, Kiev 01601, Ukraine
Andreas Bikfalvi, INSERM U1029 Molecular Angiogenesis and Cancer Microenvironment Laboratory, University Bordeaux I, 33405 Talence, France
Author contributions: Minchenko DO and Minchenko OH contributed equally to this work; Minchenko OH and Esumi H contributed to conception and design; Minchenko OH and Minchenko DO wrote the paper; Esumi H, Tsuchihara K, Minchenko OH and Bikfalvi A revised the article critically for important intellectual content and final approval of the version to be published.
Correspondence to: Oleksandr H Minchenko, PhD, Professor, Head, Department of Molecular Biology, Palladin Institute of Biochemistry, 9 Leontovicha St., Kiev 01601, Ukraine. ominchenko@yahoo.com
Telephone: +38-44-2356151 Fax: +38-44-2796365
Received: February 22, 2014
Revised: March 22, 2014
Accepted: May 19, 2014
Published online: October 14, 2014
Core Tip

Core tip: Enzymes 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase-3 and -4 (PFKFB-3 and PFKFB-4) play a significant role in the regulation of glycolysis and cancer growth by inducing cell proliferation and surviving. The expression of these PFKFB is increased in malignant tumors and strongly induced in various cancer cell lines under hypoxia, including pancreatic and gastric cells. The high expression level of PFKFB-4 protein was found in NUGC3 gastric adenocarcinoma cells and much lower in pancreatic Panc1 cells, with the highest response to hypoxia in the pancreatic cancer cells. Both PFKFB-4 and PFKFB-3 are overexpressed in gastric, colon, lung, and breast cancers being more pronounced for PFKFB-4. Blocking both PFKFB-4 and PFKFB-3 may present new therapeutic opportunities.