G6PD: A hub for metabolic reprogramming and redox signaling in cancer

Metabolic hubs play a major role in the initiation and development of cancer. Oncogenic signaling pathways drive metabolic reprogramming and alter redox homeostasis. G6PD has potential oncogenic activity and it plays a pivotal role in cell proliferation, survival and stress responses. Aberrant activation of G6PD via metabolic reprogramming alters NADPH levels, leading to an antioxidant or a pro-oxidant environment which can either enhance DNA oxidative damage and genomic instability or initiate oncogenic signaling. Nutrient deprivation can rewire metabolism, which leads to mutations that determine a cancer cell's fate. Deregulated G6PD status and oxidative stress form a vicious cycle, which paves the way for cancer progression. This review aims to update and focus the potential role of G6PD in metabolic reprogramming and redox signaling in cancer.