Cellular glycolysis and glycosylation pathways

Cellular glycolysis and glycosylation pathways represent a complex network of biochemical reactions responsible for glucose catabolism and the covalent attachment of sugars to proteins and lipids. Glycolysis is the primary metabolic route for converting glucose into pyruvate, generating ATP and intermediate metabolites essential for cellular energy and biosynthesis. Glycosylation, often linked to glycolysis via the hexosamine biosynthetic pathway, is a critical post-translational modification that influences protein stability, localization, and activity. In many diseases, particularly cancer, these pathways are significantly upregulated to support rapid proliferation and immune evasion, a phenomenon known as the Warburg effect. While these pathways contain numerous individual therapeutic targets such as Hexokinase 2 or GLUT1, the pathways themselves are broad biological processes rather than single molecular targets.

Other names

Glycolytic pathwayProtein glycosylation pathwaysHexosamine biosynthetic pathwayGlucose metabolism

Drugs targeting these pathways typically act by inhibiting rate-limiting enzymes such as hexokinase or phosphofructokinase to disrupt energy production, or by interfering with glycosyltransferases and glucosidases to alter protein maturation and trafficking.