Tsinghua University has made a major breakthrough: humans are expected to "starve" cancer cells
Yesterday, I came across an exciting development from Tsinghua University. Professor Yan Ning's research team at the School of Medicine has successfully determined the crystal structure of the human glucose transporter GLUT1 for the first time. This breakthrough could potentially disrupt the "nutrient chain" that cancer cells rely on, offering a new strategy to "starve" them. The study was recently published in *Nature*, one of the most prestigious scientific journals, and it has already generated significant interest within the scientific community.
Glucose is the primary energy source for nearly all living organisms. Before it can be used for energy, it must enter the cell—a fundamental process in metabolism. However, because glucose is water-soluble, it cannot easily pass through the hydrophobic cell membrane. That’s where transporters like GLUT1 come into play, acting as molecular gatekeepers that facilitate the movement of glucose across the membrane.
Professor Yan Ning emphasized that GLUT1 plays a crucial role in the metabolism of cancer cells. These cells have a much higher demand for glucose compared to normal cells, and an overexpression of GLUT1 is often associated with tumor growth. By understanding the structure and function of GLUT1, scientists may be able to develop strategies to either enhance or inhibit glucose transport. This could lead to new therapeutic approaches—either by boosting glucose supply in healthy cells or by blocking it in cancer cells, effectively starving them and slowing their proliferation.
This discovery marks a major step forward in the fight against cancer and opens up new possibilities for targeted therapies in the future.
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