HK2

HK2, or hexokinase 2, aliases include HKII, HXK2.HK2 is encoded by the human HK2 gene.HK2 is a key metabolic enzyme, localized mainly to the outer mitochondrial membrane, and is responsible for catalyzing the first step in the glycolytic pathway, phosphorylating glucose to glucose 6-phosphate.
HK2 shows high expression in many tumors and plays an important role in promoting the Warburg effect, which is the tendency of tumor cells to generate energy through glycolysis rather than oxidative phosphorylation. HK2 acts as a glucose receptor, sensing intracellular glucose levels, and switches between classical and non-classical functions in order to link energy metabolism to tumor immunity, revealing that the mechanism by which the Warburg effect promotes tumor immune escape. This study not only reveals new metabolic markers and molecular targets for individualized cancer treatment, but also has important guiding significance for drug development targeting tumor metabolism and tumor immunity.