<?xml version="1.1" encoding="utf-8"?>
<article xsi:noNamespaceSchemaLocation="http://jats.nlm.nih.gov/publishing/1.1/xsd/JATS-journalpublishing1-mathml3.xsd" dtd-version="1.1" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"><front><journal-meta><journal-id journal-id-type="publisher-id">PAR</journal-id><journal-title-group><journal-title>Proceedings of Anticancer Research</journal-title></journal-title-group><issn>2208-3545</issn><eissn>2208-3553</eissn><publisher><publisher-name>Bio-Byword Scientific Publishing Pty. Ltd.</publisher-name></publisher></journal-meta><article-meta><article-id pub-id-type="doi">10.26689/par.v10i2.14299</article-id><article-categories><subj-group subj-group-type="heading"><subject>Article</subject></subj-group></article-categories><title>Research Progress of Glucuronyl C5-Epimerase in Cancers: A Review</title><url>https://artdesignp.com/journal/PAR/10/2/10.26689/par.v10i2.14299</url><author>SuZixuan,HuWei</author><pub-date pub-type="publication-year"><year>2026</year></pub-date><volume>10</volume><issue>2</issue><history><date date-type="pub"><published-time>2026-04-14</published-time></date></history><abstract>Glucuronyl C5-epimerase (GLCE) is a key enzyme in heparan sulfate biosynthesis. Mice with a whole-genome knockout of GLCE exhibit embryonic lethality, highlighting its essential roles in growth and development and its involvement in processes such as obesity, neurogenesis, and immune regulation. Interestingly, GLCE exerts similar or even opposite effects in different cancers. The functional complexity of GLCE in cancers positions it as a promising biomarker and therapeutic target. However, current understanding of the roles and underlying mechanisms of GLCE in various cancers remains limited. This article reviews and discusses the functions and molecular mechanisms of GLCE in different cancers.</abstract><keywords/></article-meta></front><body/><back><ref-list><ref id="B1" content-type="article"><label>1</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Feyerabend TB, Li JP, Lindahl U, et al., 2006, Heparan Sulfate C5-Epimerase Is Essential for Heparin Biosynthesis in Mast Cells. Nature Chemical Biology, 2(4): 195–196.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B2" content-type="article"><label>2</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Jia J, Maccarana M, Zhang X, et al., 2009, Lack of L-Iduronic Acid in Heparan Sulfate Affects Interaction with Growth Factors and Cell Signaling. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 284(23): 15942–15950.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B3" content-type="article"><label>3</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Li JP, Gong F, Hagner-Mcwhirter A, et al., 2003, Targeted Disruption of a Murine Glucuronyl C5-Epimerase Gene Results in Heparan Sulfate Lacking L-Iduronic Acid and in Neonatal Lethality. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 278(31): 28363–28366.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B4" content-type="article"><label>4</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Ledin J, Staatz W, Li JP, et al., 2004, Heparan Sulfate Structure in Mice with Genetically Modified Heparan Sulfate Production. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 279(41): 42732–42741.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B5" content-type="article"><label>5</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Bülow HE, Hobert O, 2004, Differential Sulfations and Epimerization Define Heparan Sulfate Specificity in Nervous System Development. Neuron, 41(5): 723–736.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B6" content-type="article"><label>6</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Qin Y, Ke J, Gu X, et al., 2015, Structural and Functional Study of D-Glucuronyl C5-Epimerase. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 290(8): 4620–4630.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B7" content-type="article"><label>7</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>He F, Jiang H, Peng C, et al., 2023, Hepatic Glucuronyl C5-Epimerase Combats Obesity by Stabilising GDF15. Journal of Hepatology, 79(3): 605–617.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B8" content-type="article"><label>8</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Li J, Fang J, Qin Y, et al., 2014, GLCE Regulates PC12 Cell Neuritogenesis Induced by Nerve Growth Factor through Activating SMAD/ID3 Signalling. Biochemical Journal, 459(2): 405–415.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B9" content-type="article"><label>9</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Jiang J, Zhan X, Xu G, et al., 2021, Glycolysis- and Immune-Related Novel Prognostic Biomarkers of Ewing’s Sarcoma: Glucuronic Acid Epimerase and Triosephosphate Isomerase 1. Aging (Albany NY), 13(13): 17516–17535.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B10" content-type="article"><label>10</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Chanalaris A, Clarke H, Guimond SE, et al., 2019, Heparan Sulfate Proteoglycan Synthesis Is Dysregulated in Human Osteoarthritic Cartilage. American Journal of Clinical Pathology, 189(3): 632–647.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B11" content-type="article"><label>11</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Grigorieva E, Eshchenko T, Rykova VI, et al., 2008, Decreased Expression of Human D-Glucuronyl C5-Epimerase in Breast Cancer. International Journal of Cancer, 122(5): 1172–1176.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B12" content-type="article"><label>12</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Prudnikova TY, Mostovich LA, Domanitskaya NV, et al., 2010, Antiproliferative Effect of D-Glucuronyl C5-Epimerase in Human Breast Cancer Cells. Cancer Cell International, 10: 27.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B13" content-type="article"><label>13</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Kunnas T, Solakivi T, Määttä K, et al., 2016, Glucuronic Acid Epimerase (GLCE) Variant rs3865014 (A&gt;G) Is Associated with BMI, Blood Hemoglobin, Hypertension, and Cerebrovascular Events, the TAMRISK Study. Annals of Human Genetics, 80(6): 332–335.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B14" content-type="article"><label>14</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Belyavskaya VA, Prudnikova TY, Domanitskaya NV, et al., 2017, GLCE rs3865014 (Val597Ile) Polymorphism Is Associated with Breast Cancer Susceptibility and Triple-Negative Breast Cancer in Siberian Population. Gene, 628: 224–229.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B15" content-type="article"><label>15</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Mostovich LA, Prudnikova TY, Kondratov AG, et al., 2012, The TCF4/β-Catenin Pathway and Chromatin Structure Cooperate to Regulate D-Glucuronyl C5-Epimerase Expression in Breast Cancer. Epigenetics, 7(8): 930–939.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B16" content-type="article"><label>16</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Prudnikova TY, Mostovich LA, Kashuba VI, et al., 2012, miRNA-218 Contributes to the Regulation of D-Glucuronyl C5-Epimerase Expression in Normal and Tumor Breast Tissues. Epigenetics, 7(10): 1109–1114.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B17" content-type="article"><label>17</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Prudnikova TY, Soulitzis N, Kutsenko OS, et al., 2013, Heterogeneity of D-Glucuronyl C5-Epimerase Expression and Epigenetic Regulation in Prostate Cancer. Cancer Medicine, 2(5): 654–661.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B18" content-type="article"><label>18</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Sung H, Ferlay J, Siegel RL, et al., 2021, Global Cancer Statistics 2020: GLOBOCAN Estimates of Incidence and Mortality Worldwide for 36 Cancers in 185 Countries. A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, 71(3): 209–249.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B19" content-type="article"><label>19</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Li Y, Huo J, He J, et al., 2021, LncRNA MONC Suppresses the Malignant Phenotype of Endometrial Cancer Stem Cells and Endometrial Carcinoma Cells by Regulating the miR-636/GLCE Axis. Cancer Cell International, 21(1): 331.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B20" content-type="article"><label>20</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Rosenberg EE, Prudnikova TY, Zabarovsky ER, et al., 2014, D-Glucuronyl C5-Epimerase Cell Type Specifically Affects Angiogenesis Pathway in Different Prostate Cancer Cells. Tumor Biology, 35(4): 3237–3245.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B21" content-type="article"><label>21</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Grigorieva EV, Strokotova AV, Ernberg I, et al., 2024, Differential Regulation of Heparan Sulfate Biosynthesis in Fibroblasts Cocultured with Normal vs. Cancerous Prostate Cells. Frontiers in Immunology, 15: 1440623.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B22" content-type="article"><label>22</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>He K, Gan WJ, 2023, Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling Pathway in the Development and Progression of Colorectal Cancer. Cancer Management and Research, 15: 435–448.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B23" content-type="article"><label>23</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Ghiselli G, Agrawal A, 2005, The Human D-Glucuronyl C5-Epimerase Gene Is Transcriptionally Activated through the Beta-Catenin-TCF4 Pathway. Biochemical Journal, 390(Pt 2): 493–499.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B24" content-type="article"><label>24</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Klein AP, 2021, Pancreatic Cancer Epidemiology: Understanding the Role of Lifestyle and Inherited Risk Factors. Nature Reviews Gastroenterology &amp; Hepatology, 18(7): 493–502.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B25" content-type="article"><label>25</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Liu T, Joshu CE, Lu J, et al., 2023, External Validation of Genetically Predicted Protein Biomarkers for Pancreatic Cancer Risk Using Aptamer-Based Plasma Levels: A Prospective Analysis in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study. International Journal of Cancer, 153(6): 1201–1216.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B26" content-type="article"><label>26</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Rudin CM, Brambilla E, Faivre-Finn C, et al., 2021, Small-Cell Lung Cancer. Nature Reviews Disease Primers, 7(1): 3.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B27" content-type="article"><label>27</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Grigorieva EV, Prudnikova TY, Domanitskaya NV, et al., 2011, D-Glucuronyl C5-Epimerase Suppresses Small-Cell Lung Cancer Cell Proliferation in Vitro and Tumour Growth in Vivo. British Journal of Cancer, 105(1): 74–82.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B28" content-type="article"><label>28</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Chen C, Xie L, Ren T, et al., 2021, Immunotherapy for Osteosarcoma: Fundamental Mechanism, Rationale, and Recent Breakthroughs. Cancer Letters, 500: 1–10.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B29" content-type="article"><label>29</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Huang W, Xiao Y, Wang H, et al., 2022, Identification of Risk Model Based on Glycolysis-Related Genes in the Metastasis of Osteosarcoma. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne), 13: 1047433.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B30" content-type="article"><label>30</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Northcott PA, Robinson GW, Kratz CP, et al., 2019, Medulloblastoma. Nature Reviews Disease Primers, 5(1): 11.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B31" content-type="article"><label>31</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Zhou X, Zhao H, 2023, FAIM2 Is Correlated with Metastasis of Medulloblastoma through Bioinformatics Analysis. Medicine (Baltimore), 102(16): e33591.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B32" content-type="article"><label>32</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Ushakov VS, Tsidulko AY, De La Bourdonnaye G, et al., 2017, Heparan Sulfate Biosynthetic System Is Inhibited in Human Glioma Due to EXT1/2 and HS6ST1/2 Down-Regulation. International Journal of Molecular Science, 18(11): 2301.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B33" content-type="article"><label>33</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Lah TT, Novak M, Breznik B, 2020, Brain Malignancies: Glioblastoma and Brain Metastases. Seminars in Cancer Biology, 60: 262–273.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B34" content-type="article"><label>34</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Sokolov DK, Shevelev OB, Khotskina AS, et al., 2023, Dexamethasone Inhibits Heparan Sulfate Biosynthetic System and Decreases Heparan Sulfate Content in Orthotopic Glioblastoma Tumors in Mice. International Journal of Molecular Science, 24(12): 10243.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B35" content-type="article"><label>35</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Tsibulnikov S, Fayzullina D, Karlina I, et al., 2023, Ewing Sarcoma Treatment: A Gene Therapy Approach. Cancer Gene Therapy, 30(8): 1066–1071.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B36" content-type="article"><label>36</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Jia F, Liu L, Weng Q, et al., 2023, Glycolysis-Metabolism-Related Prognostic Signature for Ewing Sarcoma Patients. Molecular Biotechnology, 66(10): 2882–2896.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B37" content-type="article"><label>37</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Wen J, Yi L, Wan L, et al., 2023, Prognostic Value of GLCE and Infiltrating Immune Cells in Ewing Sarcoma. Heliyon, 9(9): e19357.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B38" content-type="article"><label>38</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Jing X, Wu J, Ning J, et al., 2025, D-Glucuronyl C5-Epimerase Binds to EGFR to Suppress Kidney Fibrosis. Advanced Science (Weinh), 12(40): e16216.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B39" content-type="article"><label>39</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Reijmers RM, Groen RW, Kuil A, et al., 2011, Disruption of Heparan Sulfate Proteoglycan Conformation Perturbs B-Cell Maturation and APRIL-Mediated Plasma Cell Survival. Blood, 117(23): 6162–6171.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref><ref id="B40" content-type="article"><label>40</label><element-citation publication-type="journal"><p>Debarnot C, Monneau YR, Roig-Zamboni V, et al., 2019, Substrate Binding Mode and Catalytic Mechanism of Human Heparan Sulfate D-Glucuronyl C5 Epimerase. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 116(14): 6760–6765.</p><pub-id pub-id-type="doi"/></element-citation></ref></ref-list></back></article>
