The Study
GLUT5-KHK axis-mediated fructose metabolism drives proliferation and chemotherapy resistance of colorectal cancer.
This study looked at cancer cells in a dish and in mice to see how they use sugar. It found that when there's not enough glucose, the cancer cells use fructose to grow. But this doesn't mean eating sugar gives you cancer — it just shows one way cancer cells might behave in a lab.
Analysis score
Maximum 58 for a case-control study.
Where the score came from
When colon cancer cells don't get enough glucose, they switch to eating fructose (a sugar in soda and candy) to grow and resist chemo. They use a special gate (GLUT5) to suck in fructose and a helper (KHK) to turn it into energy.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 546 / 100
Quality score
Researchers compare people who have a condition (cases) with similar people who do not (controls), looking back in time for differences in exposure. Useful but more prone to bias.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes — cutting fructose or blocking its use could help make cancer treatments more effective for patients.
- 2Tumors had less glucose but more GLUT5 than healthy tissue.
- 3Blocking fructose or GLUT5 slowed tumor growth in mice and made chemo work better.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Cancer letters
Year
2022
Authors
Zhiyong Shen, Zhenkang Li, Yuecheng Liu, Yongsheng Li, Xiaochuang Feng, Yizhi Zhan, Mingdao Lin, C. Fang, Yuan Fang, H. Deng
Related Content
Claims (6)
Consuming large amounts of dietary sugar is associated with increased growth and progression of cancer.
In human colorectal tumors with low glucose, tumor cells increase GLUT5 transporter activity to use fructose for energy, which supports continued growth and reduces the effectiveness of chemotherapy by boosting glycolysis and tricarboxylic acid cycle activity.
In laboratory models of colorectal cancer, blocking fructose metabolism or reducing dietary fructose decreases tumor growth and improves the effectiveness of chemotherapy drugs oxaliplatin and 5-fluorouracil.
When glucose is unavailable, the GLUT5 transporter binds to ketohexokinase in colorectal cancer cells to stop its breakdown by autophagy, which increases the use of fructose for energy production.
In human colorectal cancer tissues, glucose levels are consistently lower than in nearby healthy tissue, and this difference leads to increased use of fructose as an energy source by cancer cells.
In human colorectal cancer tissues, the GLUT5 protein is present at higher levels than in nearby healthy tissue, leading to greater absorption of fructose when glucose is scarce.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.