Nutrient Transporters: New Molecular Targets for Triple Negative Breast Cancer in Type 2 Diabetics

Breast cancer is the most common malignancy among women worldwide and is also the leading cause of cancer-related death in this gender. Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) is one of the most common chronic diseases worldwide. There is a positive association between breast cancer and T2D, especially evident for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). In this chapter, we discuss current knowledge regarding the effect of T2D-associated characteristics upon glucose and glutamine uptake by TNBC cells, and whether alterations in the main transporters of these nutrients (GLUT1 and ASCT2, respectively) can contribute to TNBC initiation, promotion and progression in T2D patients. Insulin, leptin, interferon-γ and an oxidative stress inducer were found to create a microenvironment favouring TNBC development by upregulating GLUT1-mediated glucose and/or ASCT2-mediated glutamine transport. Based on the existing evidences, we conclude that GLUT1 and ASCT2 may constitute a mechanism by which T2D participates in malignancy of TNBC tumours. So, it is possible that these two nutrient transporters can be used in the future as molecular targets for TNBC therapy and as biomarkers for the risk of TNBC development in T2D patients.