Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 12, 2026

Differentiated Mouse Adipocytes in Primary Culture: A Model of Insulin Resistance
Published on: February 17, 2023
The Relationship Between Insulin Resistance and Cancer in Humans.
María M Adeva-Andany1, Lucia Adeva-Contreras2, Eva Ameneiros-Rodriguez1
1Internal Medicine, Hospital Juan Cardona, Ferrol, Spain.
Insulin resistance is linked to cancer development, as cancer cells switch to glycolysis for rapid growth. This metabolic change, driven by factors like hypoxia-inducible factor-1 and cytokines, impairs the body's response to insulin.
Area of Science:
- Metabolic pathways
- Cancer biology
- Immunology
Background:
- Insulin resistance is independently associated with cancer in humans.
- Metabolic adaptation, including insulin resistance, often precedes cancer diagnosis.
- Cancer patients exhibit insulin resistance, characterized by a shift towards glycolysis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To elucidate the pathogenic mechanisms linking insulin resistance and cancer.
- To explore the role of metabolic reprogramming in cancer progression.
- To investigate the interplay between immune system activation and metabolic dysfunction in cancer.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of metabolic shifts in cancer cells (aerobic glycolysis).
- Investigation of molecular mechanisms including hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) and cytokine signaling.
- Examination of genetic disorders with concurrent insulin resistance and cancer predisposition.
Main Results:
- Cancer cells exhibit aerobic glycolysis, sparing oxygen for anabolic processes.
- Hypoxia-inducible factor-1 upregulation and cytokine overproduction (e.g., interferon) are key mechanisms.
- Defective DNA repair syndromes (e.g., Werner syndrome) show simultaneous insulin resistance and cancer, linked to immune activation and interferon production.
Conclusions:
- Insulin resistance in cancer is driven by hypoxia-inducible factor-1 and cytokines, suppressing key metabolic regulators.
- Immune system activation by abnormal nucleic acids contributes to cytokine overproduction and insulin resistance.
- Genomic instability and subsequent immune responses play a critical role in the co-occurrence of cancer and insulin resistance.
More Related Videos
08:13Study of In Vivo Glucose Metabolism in High-fat Diet-fed Mice Using Oral Glucose Tolerance Test OGTT and Insulin Tolerance Test ITT
Published on: January 7, 2018
08:32Studying the Hypothalamic Insulin Signal to Peripheral Glucose Intolerance with a Continuous Drug Infusion System into the Mouse Brain
Published on: January 4, 2018
Related Concept Videos
Psychoneuroimmunology: Diabetes and Cancer
Insulin: The Receptor and Signaling Pathways
Cancer Prevention
Some...
mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression
The mTOR pathway or the...
Carbohydrate Metabolism
Starch accounts for approximately 60% of the carbohydrates consumed by humans. Since amylase enzymes cannot function in the stomach's acidic environment, starch can only be digested in the mouth and small intestine. Simple sugars are found naturally in milk and fruits in...
Treatment Resistant Cancers