In 2012 research by scientists at Cancer Research UK’s London Research Institute show that an enzyme called PFKFB4 is essential for balancing these two processes – making sure the cell’s energy needs are met without allowing free radicals to build up and trigger cell death.
Study leader Dr. Almut Schulze, said: “Our study suggests that PFKFB4 acts to fine-tune the process by which cells convert glucose into energy. Blocking this enzyme in prostate cancer cells grown in the lab stalled growth and triggered a catastrophic build-up of free-radicals, suggesting that it could be a suitable drug target. Importantly, this route to energy production is common to many different types of cancer, suggesting that drugs to target it could potentially be used to treat a variety of cancers.”[7]
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^Manzano A, Pérez JX, Nadal M, Estivill X, Lange A, Bartrons R (March 1999). "Cloning, expression and chromosomal localization of a human testis 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase gene". Gene. 229 (1–2): 83–9. doi:10.1016/S0378-1119(99)00037-2. PMID10095107.
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Gómez M, Manzano A, Navarro-Sabaté A, Duran J, Obach M, Perales JC, Bartrons R (January 2005). "Specific expression of pfkfb4 gene in spermatogonia germ cells and analysis of its 5'-flanking region". FEBS Letters. 579 (2): 357–62. doi:10.1016/j.febslet.2004.11.096. PMID15642344. S2CID33170865.
Minchenko OH, Ochiai A, Opentanova IL, Ogura T, Minchenko DO, Caro J, Komisarenko SV, Esumi H (November 2005). "Overexpression of 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase-4 in the human breast and colon malignant tumors". Biochimie. 87 (11): 1005–10. doi:10.1016/j.biochi.2005.04.007. PMID15925437.