HK1 and cancer: The coupling between VDAC1 and elevated levels of HK leads to a high glycolytic rate resulting in enhanced generation of lactate, a key component in promoting cell growth and protecting against mitochondria-mediated cell death in cancer cells (Abu-Hamad et al., 2008; Maldonado and Lemasters, 2012; Shoshan-Barmatz et al., 2014).