Glucose Metabolism Modulation as a Strategy to Enhance Cancer Radiotherapy

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Metabolic pathways
• Radiotherapy

Background:

• Tumor-associated glucose metabolic reprogramming, specifically the Warburg effect, fuels cancer cell energy needs.
• This metabolic shift contributes to radioresistance by aiding DNA repair and promoting cell survival pathways.
• Reprogrammed glucose metabolism presents a significant challenge in radiotherapy efficacy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the role of glucose metabolism in radiotherapy resistance.
• To explore strategies targeting metabolic pathways to enhance radiosensitivity.
• To investigate the impact of metabolic interventions on the tumor microenvironment and immune response.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature review of the PubMed database.
• Filtering studies published up to October 2025.
• Analysis of research on glucose metabolism, radiotherapy, and radiosensitization.

Main Results:

• Targeting key glycolytic enzymes like hexokinase (HK) and pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2) can improve radiosensitivity.
• Integrating radiotherapy with metabolic modulators shows promise in overcoming radioresistance.
• Interventions can remodel the tumor microenvironment and modulate antitumor immunity.

Conclusions:

• Modulating glucose metabolism is a viable strategy to enhance radiotherapy efficacy.
• Targeting metabolic pathways offers potential for novel radiosensitization approaches.
• Understanding metabolic reprogramming is crucial for developing effective cancer therapies.