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Recent Progress in the Development of Glucose Transporter (GLUT) Inhibitors

Yuxuan Wang1, Zhiqiang Sun2, Zean Zhao2

  • 1Zhujiang Hospital, The Second School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510280, China.

Journal of Medicinal Chemistry
|January 2, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Cancer cells rely on glucose, using glucose transporters (GLUTs) for uptake. Inhibiting GLUTs offers a promising strategy for developing novel cancer therapies.

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Oncology
  • Medicinal Chemistry

Background:

  • Cancer cells demonstrate increased glucose metabolism (glycolysis) and uptake.
  • Glucose transport across cell membranes is facilitated by glucose transporters (GLUTs) and sodium-coupled glucose cotransporters (SGLTs).
  • GLUTs are crucial for cancer cell survival and proliferation, making them attractive therapeutic targets.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To provide a comprehensive overview of the research progress in developing GLUT inhibitors.
  • To discuss the design strategies for GLUT inhibitors, focusing on class I GLUTs (GLUT1-4).
  • To highlight the opportunities and challenges in GLUT inhibitor development for cancer therapy.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic review of current research on GLUT inhibitors.
  • Analysis of medicinal chemistry approaches for designing GLUT inhibitors.
  • Focus on inhibitors targeting class I GLUTs (GLUT1-4).

Main Results:

  • GLUT inhibitors represent a promising avenue for cancer treatment.
  • Medicinal chemistry offers strategies for designing effective GLUT inhibitors.
  • Significant progress has been made, but challenges remain in clinical translation.

Conclusions:

  • Targeting GLUTs, particularly class I members, is a viable strategy for cancer therapy.
  • Further research in medicinal chemistry is essential to overcome challenges and optimize GLUT inhibitor development.
  • This perspective offers insights for advancing GLUT inhibitor-based cancer treatments.

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