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Updated: Jan 2, 2026

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The role of pyruvate kinase M2 in anticancer therapeutic treatments

Qiongli Su1, Shengping Luo1, Qiuhong Tan1

  • 1Department of Pharmacy, Zhuzhou Central Hospital, Zhuzhou, Hunan 412000, P.R. China.

Oncology Letters
|December 3, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Pyruvate kinase isoenzyme M2 (PKM2) is upregulated in many cancers. Inhibiting PKM2 enhances chemotherapy effectiveness and offers a promising strategy for developing new anticancer drugs.

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Cancer cells exhibit high glycolysis, leading to altered metabolism and abnormal pyruvate kinase isoenzyme M2 (PKM2) expression.
  • Elevated PKM2 levels are observed across various cancer types, highlighting its oncogenic role.
  • PKM2 is a validated target for anticancer drug development, with some drugs acting by downregulating its expression.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review mechanisms of anticancer drugs that inhibit PKM2 expression.
  • To explore the link between PKM2 levels and cancer drug resistance.
  • To suggest future research directions for targeting PKM2 in cancer therapy.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of studies on PKM2 in cancer.
  • Analysis of anticancer drug mechanisms targeting PKM2.
  • Exploration of PKM2's role in chemoresistance.
  • Discussion of therapeutic strategies involving PKM2 inhibition.

Main Results:

  • PKM2 upregulation is a hallmark of cancer, linked to altered metabolism.
  • Inhibiting PKM2, through various methods, can enhance the efficacy of existing cancer treatments.
  • PKM2 expression levels correlate with drug resistance, suggesting its involvement in treatment failure.

Conclusions:

  • Targeting PKM2 is a significant strategy in cancer chemotherapy.
  • Understanding PKM2's role in drug resistance can inform the development of more effective treatments.
  • Further research into novel PKM2 inhibitors holds promise for future anticancer drug discovery.
Keywords:
PKM2cancerchemotherapeutic drugsresistancetarget

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