Description
Hexokinase 2 (HK2), a rate-limiting enzyme in the first step of the glycolysis pathway, expresses at a high level in cancer cells compared with normal cells. HK2 provides a new target for cancer therapy due to its pivotal role in tumor tumourigenic and metastatic processes. The glycolytic enzyme hexokinase 2 (HK2) is crucial for the Warburg effect in human glioma, the most common malignant brain tumor. Although absent in most adult tissues, hexokinase 2 (HK2) is expressed in a majority of tumors and contributes to increased glucose consumption and to in vivo tumor 18F-FDG PET signaling. Hexokinase 2 (HK2) is a rate-determining enzyme in aerobic glycolysis, a process upregulated in tumor cells. HK2 expression is controlled by various transcription factors and epigenetic alterations and is heterogeneous in hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs), though the cause of this heterogeneity is not known