The Role of PFKFB3 In the Tumor Microenvironment and Its Therapeutic Potential

Energy metabolic reprogramming has recently been recognized as an important hallmark of tumor metabolic biology, and tumor cells can be manipulated to obtain rapid growth, immune evasion and apoptosis, which play an important role in tumor development. Enhanced glycolysis is the main source of energy required for tumorigenesis, development and metastasis in the tumor microenvironment, and Warburg suggested that tumor cells preferentially choose glycolysis as the main pathway to provide energy even under aerobic conditions, but the mechanisms and causes of this metabolic alteration remain unclear. PFKFB3 is an important activator of glycolysis and plays an important role in carcinogenesis, including Tumor cytogenesis, metastasis, drug resistance and alteration of the tumor microenvironment. In this review, we summarize the role of PFKFB3 in different tumor types and its effects on the tumor microenvironment, as well as the signaling pathways through which PFKFB3 acts in tumors, suggesting PFKFB3 as a potential anti-tumor therapeutic target.