Long-term prognostic implications and therapeutic target role of hexokinase II in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Abstract

Tumor cells preferentially use anaerobic glycolysis rather than oxidative phosphorylation to generate energy. Hexokinase II (HK-II) is necessary for anaerobic glycolysis and displays aberrant expression in malignant cells. The current study aimed to evaluate the role of HK-II in the survival and biological function of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Our study demonstrated that high expression of HK-II was associated with poor survival outcomes in NPC patients. When using 3-BrOP (an HK-II inhibitor) to repress glycolysis, cell proliferation and invasion were attenuated, accompanied by the induction of apoptosis and cell cycle arrest at the G1 stage. Furthermore, 3-BrOP synergized with cisplatin (DDP) to induce NPC cell death. Collectively, we provided that the aberrant expression of HK-II was associated with the malignant phenotype of NPC. A combined treatment modality that targets glycolysis with DDP holds promise for the treatment of NPC patients.