TALDO1, also known as transaldolase 1, is a rate-limiting enzyme in the pentose phosphate pathway. This pathway is crucial for the production of ribose-5-phosphate for nucleotide synthesis and NADPH for redox reactions, thus playing an important role in cell metabolism, growth, and maintenance [4].

TALDO1 has been associated with multiple diseases. In breast cancer, it was found to be an extracellular vesicle (EV) biomarker of distant metastasis, and in vitro and in vivo analysis confirmed its role in stimulating breast cancer invasion and metastasis [1]. In hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), TALDO1 mRNA level was higher in cancer tissues compared to normal tissues. High TALDO1 mRNA expression was an independent risk factor for prognosis, and high expression was associated with poor overall survival. Knockdown of TALDO1 expression suppressed the proliferation and migration ability of HCC cells, and it was shown to activate the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway and enhance epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) [2]. Also, in estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer, TALDO1 co-expressed with SLC1A5 was associated with endocrine therapy failure [3].

In conclusion, TALDO1 is a key enzyme in the pentose phosphate pathway with important implications in metabolism. Through gene-based research, especially in cancer models such as breast cancer and HCC, it has been revealed that TALDO1 plays significant roles in tumor progression, metastasis, and response to therapy, highlighting its potential as a biomarker and therapeutic target in these disease areas.