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Updated: Mar 6, 2026

Glycan Node Analysis: A Bottom-up Approach to Glycomics
Published on: May 22, 2016
Hyperglycemia exacerbates colon cancer malignancy through hexosamine biosynthetic pathway
A Vasconcelos-Dos-Santos1, H F B R Loponte1, N R Mantuano1
1Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
High glucose levels in diabetes promote colon cancer growth and spread by altering cell sugar coating. The hexosamine biosynthetic pathway (HBP) links hyperglycemia to cancer malignancy, offering a potential therapeutic target.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Metabolic pathways
- Cancer cell biology
Background:
- Hyperglycemia, common in diabetes, is a known cancer risk factor.
- The direct impact of hyperglycemia on cancer cell behavior remains under-investigated.
- Aberrant glycosylation is increasingly recognized in cancer progression.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the direct effects of high glucose on colon cancer cell behavior.
- To elucidate the role of the hexosamine biosynthetic pathway (HBP) in hyperglycemia-driven cancer progression.
- To explore HBP as a potential therapeutic target for colorectal cancer.
Main Methods:
- Culturing colon cancer cells under high glucose conditions.
- Assessing cell proliferation, invasion, and glycosylation patterns.
- Modulating the activity of glutamine-fructose-6-phosphate amidotransferase (GFAT), the rate-limiting enzyme in HBP.
- Analyzing GFAT levels and glycan expression in human colon cancer biopsies.
Main Results:
- High glucose concentrations induced aberrant glycosylation, increased proliferation, and enhanced invasion in colon cancer cells.
- Modulation of GFAT activity confirmed the involvement of HBP in these hyperglycemia-induced effects.
- Human colon cancer biopsies revealed elevated GFAT levels and aberrant glycan expression, indicating increased HBP flux.
- Aberrant glycosylation and increased cell malignancy were linked to HBP activity.
Conclusions:
- The hexosamine biosynthetic pathway (HBP) acts as a crucial link between hyperglycemia and the malignant behavior of colon cancer.
- Aberrant glycosylation, driven by increased HBP flux under hyperglycemic conditions, contributes to tumor progression.
- Targeting the HBP presents a promising therapeutic strategy for colorectal cancer, particularly in diabetic patients.
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