2-deoxy-D-[1-13C]glucose (CAS 201612-55-7)

2-deoxy-D-[1-13C]glucose is a chemically altered form of glucose where the hydroxyl group at the second carbon is replaced by a hydrogen and the first carbon is isotopically labeled with carbon-13 (13C). This modification makes it an invaluable tool in metabolic research, particularly in the study of glucose uptake and metabolism within cells. Unlike regular glucose, 2-deoxyglucose cannot undergo further glycolysis past the initial phosphorylation step, thereby acting as a competitive inhibitor of glucose metabolism. This characteristic allows researchers to trace its path and quantify its uptake using imaging techniques like nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) due to the presence of the 13C label, which provides a distinct spectral signature different from the more common 12C isotope. In research settings, 2-deoxy-D-[1-13C]glucose is used to investigate various aspects of cellular metabolism, including the rate of glucose uptake by cancer cells, which often exhibit higher rates of glucose metabolism compared to normal cells—a phenomenon known as the Warburg effect. By analyzing how cells metabolize this glucose analog, scientists can gain insights into cellular energy pathways, the regulation of glucose transporters, and the metabolic responses to various external stimuli, contributing significantly to our understanding of cellular metabolism and its implications in diseases such as cancer.