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The Role of Glucose Transporter-1 (GLUT-1) in Malignant Gliomas

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Tumors of the Central Nervous System, Volume 1

Part of the book series: Tumors of the Central Nervous System ((TCNS,volume 1))

Abstract

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most aggressive and lethal primary brain tumor in adults. Despite significant advances in surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, prognosis for patients with GBM remains dismal, and clinical outcome varies markedly between patients. To formulate appropriate treatment strategy, accurate prognostic markers are needed to predict survival for individual patients. The glucose transporter GLUT-1 has emerged as a novel prognostic factor given its association with poorer response to therapy and poorer prognosis in patients with many different cancers. This chapter explores the role GLUT-1 may play in GBM angiogenesis, proliferation, and tumorigenesis. We review the molecular biology and physiologic function of the GLUT family of glucose transporters. We also explore the role these proteins have in the blood–brain barrier and how GLUT-1 is regulated at the transcriptional and post-transcriptional level. We place special emphasis on the role of hypoxia in glioma tumorigenesis, resistance to therapy, and GLUT-1 regulation. The role of GLUT-1 as a marker of tumor hypoxia is also discussed. Finally, the potential strategies of targeting GLUT-1 for the treatment of malignant glioma are explored. GLUT-1 appears to have a significant role in glioma tumor biology and deserves further study to determine the potential for exploiting this role in therapeutic measures for patients with malignant gliomas.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurosurgery, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, 84132, USA

    Randy L. Jensen

  2. Institute of Medical and Applied Biophysics, Ivane Javakhisvili Tbilisi State University, Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia

    Rati Chkheidze

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  1. Randy L. Jensen
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  2. Rati Chkheidze
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Correspondence to Randy L. Jensen .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. Biological Sciences, Kean University, 1000 Moris Avenue, Union, 07083, New Jersey, USA

    M. A. Hayat

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Jensen, R.L., Chkheidze, R. (2011). The Role of Glucose Transporter-1 (GLUT-1) in Malignant Gliomas. In: Hayat, M. (eds) Tumors of the Central Nervous System, Volume 1. Tumors of the Central Nervous System, vol 1. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-0344-5_11

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-0344-5_11

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-007-0343-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-007-0344-5

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