Tracking the Metabolic Fates of High-Fructose Corn Syrup in Cancer Cells

Increased dietary consumption of sugar has been implicated in a number of clinical pathologies, including obesity and other metabolic diseases. High fructose corn syrup, a sugar mixture of about 40% glucose and 60% fructose, is a ubiquitous sweetening additive in a number of drinks and food. In this study, we have investigated the metabolism of these two types of sugar in cancers cells e.g. glioblastoma cells, specifically the aggressive SfXL cell line. 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy was used in this study due to high specificity courtesy of the wide chemical shift dispersion of carbon-13. Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), or cancer of the glial cells, is a highly aggressive and mostly chemoresistant form of brain cancer with very dismal chance of survival. The goal of this study was to investigate the metabolism of fructose and glucose in glioblastoma and other cancer types, given the ubiquity of these two sugars in Western diet. NMR data and relevant molecular biology results will be discussed.