Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40649254›Full record

ArticleMolecules (Basel, Switzerland)2025

Glucagon and Glucose Availability Influence Metabolic Heterogeneity and Malignancy in Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumour (pNET) Cells: Novel Routes for Therapeutic Targeting.

Bárbara Ferreira, Isabel Lemos, Cindy Mendes, Beatriz Chumbinho, Fernanda Silva, Daniela Pereira, Emanuel Vigia, Luís G Gonçalves, António Figueiredo, Daniela Cavaco and 1 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Bárbara FerreiraiNOVA4Health, NOVA Medical School, Campo dos Mártires da Pátria, 130, 1169-056 Lisboa, Portugal.
Isabel LemosiNOVA4Health, NOVA Medical School, Campo dos Mártires da Pátria, 130, 1169-056 Lisboa, Portugal.ORCID 0000-0002-0568-905X
Cindy MendesiNOVA4Health, NOVA Medical School, Campo dos Mártires da Pátria, 130, 1169-056 Lisboa, Portugal.ORCID 0000-0002-8808-5082
Beatriz ChumbinhoUniversitary Center and Hospital of Central Lisbon, Hospital Curry Cabral, Rua da Beneficência, 1069-166 Lisboa, Portugal.ORCID 0000-0001-9132-8586
Fernanda SilvaiNOVA4Health, NOVA Medical School, Campo dos Mártires da Pátria, 130, 1169-056 Lisboa, Portugal.ORCID 0000-0002-7652-6493
Daniela PereiraPortuguese Institute of Oncology of Lisbon Francisco Gentil (IPOLFG), Rua Prof Lima Basto, 1099-023 Lisboa, Portugal.
Emanuel VigiaiNOVA4Health, NOVA Medical School, Campo dos Mártires da Pátria, 130, 1169-056 Lisboa, Portugal.
Luís G GonçalvesInstitute of Chemical and Biological Tecnology António Xavier (ITQB NOVA), Avenida da República (EAN), 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal.ORCID 0000-0001-5683-3552
António FigueiredoUniversitary Center and Hospital of Central Lisbon, Hospital Curry Cabral, Rua da Beneficência, 1069-166 Lisboa, Portugal.
Daniela CavacoPortuguese Institute of Oncology of Lisbon Francisco Gentil (IPOLFG), Rua Prof Lima Basto, 1099-023 Lisboa, Portugal.
Jacinta SerpaiNOVA4Health, NOVA Medical School, Campo dos Mártires da Pátria, 130, 1169-056 Lisboa, Portugal.ORCID 0000-0002-1548-5907

Funding

Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia UIDB/04462/2020 and UIDP/04462/2020Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia UIDB/04612/2020 and UIDP/04612/2020Liga Portuguesa Contra o Cancro Terry Fox
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Cancer metabolism is a hallmark of cancer. However, the impact of systemic metabolism and diet on tumour evolution is less understood. This study delves into the role of glucagon, as a component of the pancreatic microenvironment, in regulating features of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumour (pNET) cells and the metabolic remodelling occurring in the presence and absence of glucose. pNET cell lines (BON-1 and QGP-1) and the non-malignant pancreatic α-TC1 cell line were used as models. Results showed that pNET cells responded differently to glucose deprivation than α-TC1 cells. Specifically, pNET cells upregulated the GCGR in the absence of glucose, while α-TC1 cells did so in high-glucose conditions, allowing the glucagon-related pERK1/2 activation under these conditions in pNET cells. Glucagon enhanced cancerous features in pNET BON-1 cells under glucose-deprived and hyperglucagonemia-compatible concentrations. In the α-TC1 cell line, glucagon modulated cell features under high-glucose and physiological glucagon levels. NMR exometabolome analysis revealed differences in metabolic processes based on glucose availability and glucagon stimulation across cell lines, highlighting amino acid metabolism, glycolysis, and gluconeogenesis. The expression of metabolic genes was consistent with these findings. Interestingly, QGP-1 and α-TC1 cells produced glucose in no-glucose conditions, and glucagon upregulated glucose production in α-TC1 cells. This suggests that gluconeogenesis may be beneficial for some pNET subsets, pointing out novel metabolism-based strategies to manage pNETs, as well as a step forward in endocrinology and systemic metabolism. The association between GCGR expression and malignancy and a negative correlation between glucagon receptor (GCGR) and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) expression was observed, indicating a biological role of glucagon in pNETs that deserves to be explored.

Indexed as

GlucagonGlucoseNeuroendocrine TumorsPancreatic NeoplasmsCell Line, TumorGene Expression Regulation, NeoplasticHumansGlucagonGlucosebiomarkerscancer metabolismglucagonglucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R)glucagon receptor (GCGR)pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours (pNETs)

Identifiers

PMID40649254
PMCPMC12251001

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.