ChREBP and cancer

ChREBP is a glucose-activated transcription factor that regulates lipogenic gene expression. The relationship between ChREBP and prostate cancer or hepatocellular carcinoma has been reported. As increased nucleotide synthesis and lipogenesis are required in tumor proliferation, ChREBP levels in primary tumors are increased. In contrast, during epithelial-mesenchymal transition, ChREBP expression is repressed by the TGFβ/Snail pathway as ATP consumption is needed for cell migration and tumor cell dissemination. After colonization at distant tissues, tumor cells promote reverse epithelial-mesenchymal transition and ChREBP levels are increased again. Therefore ChREBP transcription activities are changed during tumor progression. Metformin and statin might prevent tumor progression partly by suppressing ChREBP transcription activity. In this chapter, I describe the characteristics of ChREBP and then discuss the relationship between ChREBP and tumor progression. Clarification of the relationship between ChREBP and cancer may help elucidate new therapeutic options for tumor metastasis.