Regulation of Glucose Metabolism in Hepatocarcinogenesis by MicroRNAs

In the past decade, considerable effort has been made in elucidating the mechanism underlying the high level of aerobic glycolysis in cancer cells. While some recent studies have attempted to address this issue, the potential role of microRNAs in this process has not been explored until recently. These studies have demonstrated involvement of just five deregulated miRNAs in glucose metabolism in hepatocarcinogenesis. This review discusses the metabolic significance of these miRNAs in hepatoceullular carcinoma, their targets in glycolysis, gluconeogenesis, and pentose phosphate pathways, and provides an insight into the therapeutic potential of targeting specific miRNAs.