Cited by 2,043Pancreatic and Hepatic Oncology ResearchCancer, Hypoxia, and MetabolismMetabolism, Diabetes, and Cancer

Oncogenic Kras maintains pancreatic tumors through regulation of anabolic glucose metabolism

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Ying, Haoqiang, Kimmelman, Alec C., Lyssiotis, Costas A., Hua, Sujun, Chu, Gerald C., Fletcher-Sananikone, Eliot, Locasale, Jason W., Son, Jaekyoung +23 more·2012·Cell

Abstract

Tumor maintenance relies on continued activity of driver oncogenes, although their rate-limiting role is highly context dependent. Oncogenic Kras mutation is the signature event in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), serving a critical role in tumor initiation. Here, an inducible Kras(G12D)-driven PDAC mouse model establishes that advanced PDAC remains strictly dependent on Kras(G12D) expression. Transcriptome and metabolomic analyses indicate that Kras(G12D) serves a vital role in controlling tumor metabolism through stimulation of glucose uptake and channeling of glucose intermediates into the hexosamine biosynthesis and pentose phosphate pathways (PPP). These studies also reveal that oncogenic Kras promotes ribose biogenesis. Unlike canonical models, we demonstrate that Kras(G12D) drives glycolysis intermediates into the nonoxidative PPP, thereby decoupling ribose biogenesis from NADP/NADPH-mediated redox control. Together, this work provides in vivo mechanistic insights into how oncogenic Kras promotes metabolic reprogramming in native tumors and illuminates potential metabolic targets that can be exploited for therapeutic benefit in PDAC.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.cell.2012.01.058

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  • Genetic ablation of KRAS expression leads to cell cycle arrest and death in cell lines and potent tumor regressions in animal models of PDAC.

    “Prior studies have demonstrated that genetic ablation of KRAS expression leads to cell cycle arrest and death in cell lines and potent tumor regressions in animal models of PDAC (5–7).”

    From Mechanisms of Resistance to Oncogenic KRAS Inhibition in Pancreatic Cancer (2024) · cites this paper as [6]

    In “Kras G12D Is Essential for PDAC Maintenance” (p. 4), Kras extinction caused rapid regression of mouse PDAC tumors, with reduced proliferation and increased apoptosis. The same section reports loss of clonogenic growth in cultured primary tumor cells, but does not establish cell-cycle arrest and death in those cells. (LLM, conf=0.85)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Glycolysis is a critical downstream effector of oncogenic KRAS signaling in advanced tumors.

    “Consistent with our previous findings on the role of glycolysis as a critical downstream effector of oncogenic KRAS signaling in advanced tumors,16,17”

    From Therapeutic targeting of syndecan-1 axis overcomes acquired resistance to KRAS-targeted therapy in gastrointestinal cancers (2025) · cites this paper as [17]

    The Discussion (p. 8) says oncogenic Kras controls glycolysis in fully established pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), and the Results (p. 5) show reduced glycolytic flux after Kras inactivation. The evidence is specific to PDAC; it does not establish glycolysis as a critical downstream effector across advanced tumors generally. (LLM, conf=0.82)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • In the iKras GEM model, acute extinction of mutant KRAS results in downregulation of SDC1 expression, coinciding with suppression of MAPK signaling.

    “In the iKras GEM model, acute extinction of mutant KRAS results in downregulation of SDC1 expression, coinciding with suppression of MAPK signaling, as evidenced by reduced ERK phosphorylation.12,17”

    From Therapeutic targeting of syndecan-1 axis overcomes acquired resistance to KRAS-targeted therapy in gastrointestinal cancers (2025) · cites this paper as [17]

    In “Kras G12D Is Essential for PDAC Maintenance” (p. 5), the paper reports decreased MAPK signaling, measured by phospho-Erk, as early as 24 hours after doxycycline withdrawal in the iKras model. Our copy does not report downregulation of SDC1 expression; searches for SDC1 and syndecan did not find support for that part of the claim. (LLM, conf=0.86)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • KRAS mutations lead to sustained activation of MAPK and PI3K-mTOR pathways.

    “KRAS mutations lead to sustained activation of MAPK and PI3K-mTOR pathways16,17”
  • Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) lines were chosen because cancers of the pancreas are characterized by rapid progression, invasiveness, and elevated fermentative metabolism.

    “Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) lines were chosen for our study because cancers of the pancreas are characterized by rapid progression,9,10 invasiveness,11,12 and elevated fermentative metabolism.13,14,15,16”

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Authors
Ying, H., Kimmelman, A. C., Lyssiotis, C. A., Hua, S., Chu, G. C., Fletcher-Sananikone, E., Locasale, J. W., Son, J., Zhang, H., Coloff, J. L., Yan, H., Wang, W., Chen, S., Viale, A., Zheng, H., Paik, J.-H., Lim, C., Guimaraes, A. R., Martin, E. S., Chang, J., Hezel, A. F., Perry, S. R., Hu, J., Gan, B., Xiao, Y., Asara, J. M., Weissleder, R., Wang, Y. A., Chin, L., Cantley, L. C., & DePinho, R. A.
Affiliations
  • Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (US)
  • Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (US)
  • Brigham and Women's Hospital (US)
  • Harvard University (US)
  • The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (US)
Corresponding author
  • Kimmelman, Alec C.
  • DePinho, Ronald A.
Venue
Cell
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2012-04
Volume
149
Issue
3
Pages
656-670
ISSN
0092-8674 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2069269337
Cited by
2,043
References
55
Citations by year
2026: 139 · 2025: 129 · 2024: 154 · 2023: 175 · 2022: 178 · 2021: 200 · 2020: 153 · 2019: 164 · 2018: 135 · 2017: 153 · 2016: 139 · 2015: 114 · 2014: 105 · 2013: 79 · 2012: 23
FWCI
50.92
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Cell (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Institutional Repository (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) (acceptedVersion)
  • Digital Access to Scholarship at Harvard (DASH) (Harvard University) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Funders
  • National Cancer Institute (P50-CA-86355, U24CA092782, P50CA086355, T32CA009382, R01CA157490, P01CA120964, P01CA117969, P30CA006516)
  • National Institute of General Medical Sciences (R01GM056203)
  • National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (K08EB012859)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Oncology › Pancreatic and Hepatic Oncology Research
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cancer Research › Cancer, Hypoxia, and Metabolism
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Metabolism, Diabetes, and Cancer
Keywords
oncogenic KRAS, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, tumor maintenance, glucose metabolism, metabolic reprogramming, hexosamine biosynthetic pathway, pentose phosphate pathway, glycolysis intermediates, cancer metabolism
MeSH terms
Adenocarcinoma, Animals, Disease Models, Animal, Humans, Pancreatic Neoplasms, Transcription, Genetic, Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras), Mice

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