In this review, we summarize recent findings on the glycolytic and extraglycolytic roles of PFKFB3 and PFKFB4 in cancer progression and discuss potential therapies for targeting of PFKFB3 and PFKFB4.
Recent studies suggest that metabolic isoenzymes of phosphofructokinase II (PFK-II) - PFKFB3 and PFKFB4, often induced in hypoxic environment, significantly contribute to enhancement of glucose metabolism and in consequence cancer progression.
Furthermore, Pearson's correlation analysis revealed that PFKFB3 was signifcantly correlated with both CD163 and CD31 (P<0.05), meanwhile CD163 was signifcantly correlated with CD31 (P<0.001), suggesting PFKFB3 may promote angiogenesis in tumor progression and metastases by regulating CD163+ TAMs infiltration in OSCC.