This report describes a disease model in Drosophila that allows assessment of the impact of a high-sugar diet on development of cancer. See the human disease model report for 'cancer, multiple, RAS-CSK(SRC)-related' (FBhh0000664) for a description of the RAS-CSK(SRC) cancer model system in flies.
Under a regimen of high dietary sugar, most tissues display insulin pathway abnormalities, including insulin resistance. However, RAS-CSK(SRC) tumors retain insulin pathway sensitivity; they exhibit increased ability to import glucose and resistance to apoptosis. Under a normal dietary regimen, expression of RAS-CSK(SRC) typically results in localized overgrowth; under the high-sugar regimen, significantly larger, more aggressive tumors and metastasis-like phenomena are observed. The role of the WNT signaling pathway in this process has been studied.
A similar transition to a more aggressive proliferative phenotype has been observed using an EGFR model of epithelial cancer combined with a high sugar diet (see FBhh0000932).
[updated Jul. 2021 by FlyBase; FBrf0222196]