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Sunday, December 13, 2009

Pro Cancer Antioxidants

Editor's Summary in Nature Journal


There is laboratory evidence from in vitro and animal studies to suggest that antioxidants may suppress the development of cancer, though there is little conclusive evidence as to their effect in clinical conditions. Nevertheless it comes as something of a surprise to find that in certain conditions antioxidants can help promote cancer cell survival and proliferation. Normal epithelial cells die if they become detached from the structurally supportive extracellular matrix, but in breast cancer, cancer-causing genes such as ERBB2 can provide survival signals to detached tumorigenic cells. Schafer et al. show that cell detachment also causes metabolic defects that can be rescued both by ERBB2 and by antioxidants, which appear to act by boosting cellular energy levels via fatty acid oxidation. The findings point to novel mechanisms that could be exploited by cancer cells to enhance their survival in altered matrix environments.

(kiriman link dari Puspo Edi Girinowo)