Aldo-Keto Reductase 1 Member B1 Enhances Colorectal Cancer Growth Through Modulation of AMPK-mTOR Pathway Dependent Glucose Metabolism

Colorectal cancer (CRC), represents a significant contributor to cancer associated mortalities on a global scale.Despite significant progress in CRC treatment, further improvement has reached a plateau.In this study, we found that AKR1B1 expression was abnormally elevated in CRC tissues, suggesting a poor overall survival prognosis.A prognostic model for CRC patients was developed based on AKR1B1 expression.The model indicated that the AKR1B1 level is crucial for the final prediction outcome.Additionally, AKR1B1 expression levels are closely associated with the AMPK-mTOR pathway in CRC tissues.Moreover, the oncogenic role of AKR1B1 was confirmed through in vitro and in vivo functional assays.Downregulation of AKR1B1 expression in CRC cell lines effectively suppressed the phosphorylation of the AMPK/mTOR axis and inhibited glucose uptake and proliferation in tumor cells.The findings of this study provide a theoretical foundation for identifying the potential relationships and regulatory mechanisms between AKR1B1 and the AMPK-mTOR pathway and suggest a novel strategy for CRC targeted therapy.