Adenosine is a naturally occurring purine nucleoside that forms from the breakdown of ATP (adenosine triphosphate). ATP is the primary energy source in cells for transport systems and many enzymes. Adenosine facilitates tumor survival by a variety of mechanisms. Adenosine can bind to purinergic receptors in different cell types where it can produce a number of different physiological actions. Adenosine accumulates in solid tumors and stimulates tumor growth and tumor angiogenesis while imparting tumor resistance to the immune system.
Extracellular adenosine initiates most of its effects through the activation of adenosine receptors. There are at least four subtypes of the adenosine receptor A1, A2A, A2B and A3 receptors. Adenosine receptors are all coupled to G-proteins and the A1 and A3 subtypes are associated with inhibitory G-proteins. Each of these four cell …
Chronic inflammation has been found to mediate a wide variety of diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease, pulmonary diseases, and autoimmune diseases. The arachidonic acid pathway constitutes one of the main mechanisms for the production of inflammation, as well as controlling homeostatic function. Arachidonic acid (AA) is an unsaturated fatty acid that the body uses to synthesize regulatory molecules such as prostaglandins (hormone like chemical messenger) and thromboxanes (involved in platelet aggregation and blood clotting). Arachidonic acid (AA) is a form Omega 6 fatty acid. Arachidonic acid (AA), gamma linolenic acid (GLA) and linoleic acid (LA) are three forms of Omega 6 fatty acids. Linoleic acid is converted to gamma-linolenic acid in the body and then further broken down to AA. Omega 6 fatty acid in the …
Quercetin is one of the most ubiquitous flavonoids found in many fruits, vegetables, nuts, and red wine, and exerts anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic activities. Research shows that quercetin may help to treat and prevent colon cancer. Quercetin can affect growth of colon cancer cells by both decreasing polyamine biosynthesis and inducing apoptosis. Polyamines are involved in cell growth and differentiation.
The Wnt signaling pathway plays a pivotal role in cellular developmental processes and human carcinogenesis. Inhibition of expression of cyclin D(1) and survivin as well as the Wnt/beta-catenin, p21-RAS signaling pathway could be qualified as promising targets for innovative treatment strategies of colon cancer. Quercetin inhibits these pathways. Moreover, Quercetin activates AMPK (AMP-activated protein kinase), a physiological cellular energy sensor, through ROS …
Consumption of red and processed meat has been associated with an increased risk of colon cancer, a major cause of death in affluent countries. Scientists have offered a number of explanations for the link between red meat and colon cancer. One theory blames HCAs (heterocyclic amines), chemicals produced when meat is cooked at high temperatures. HCAs may play a role, but since high levels can also be present in cooked chicken, they are unlikely to be the whole explanation. In all cases the worry is confined to red meat, not chicken. Preservatives have also been implicated in the case of processed meats; nitrates are a particular worry, since the body converts them to nitrosamines, which are carcinogenic.
Epidemiological and experimental evidence supports the hypothesis that heme iron present in meat promotes …
We have already discussed the issues in other blogs about glutamine, and we already know that glutamine, converted to glutamate in the body, can stimulate growth of tumors.
Glutamine may actually stimulate growth of tumors.
High concentrations of oral glutamine also produce high amounts of glutamate in the blood, a breakdown product of glutamine. Glutamate is a key molecule in cellular metabolism and is the most common neurotransmitter in the brain. It is particularly abundant in the nervous system. The most common excitatory neurotransmitters are glutamate and aspartate while the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter is GABA. It is necessary for excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters to be in balance for proper brain function to occur. Glutamate receptors are responsible for the glutamate-mediated post-synaptic excitation of …
Traditional cancer treatments have only focused on the cancer cells, leaving the cancer stem cells behind. Chemotherapy will kill cancer cells, but cancer stem cells may somehow “hide” during chemo or radiation, then later they morph into actively growing cancer cells and move to other parts of the body. If even one cancer stem cell survives, you’re going to have an entire tumor reconstituted, and in a more aggressive form. So in addition to killing cancer cells, cancer treatments must target cancer stem cells to eradicate the disease before they get a chance to initiate new patterns of growth and cause even more problems. If you kill the cancer stem cells, then you eradicate (cure) the cancer.
Telomerase is an enzyme in cancer stem cells that keeps these cells immortal …
Viruses are found wherever there is life and have probably existed since living cells first evolved. Most virus infections eventually result in the death of the host cell. Viral infections provoke an immune response that usually eliminates the infecting virus. However, some viruses including those causing AIDS, viral hepatitis, genital warts and cervical cancer evade these immune responses and result in chronic infections. Antibiotics have no effect on viruses. Viral populations do not grow through cell division, because they are acellular. Instead, they use the machinery and metabolism of a host cell to produce multiple copies of themselves, and they assemble in the cell.
Some viruses cause no apparent changes to the infected cell. Cells in which the virus is latent and inactive show few signs of infection and often function …
All warts are caused by human papilloma virus (HPV) infections. HPV has over 100 different strains. Genital warts (condyloma acuminata) are the most common sexually transmitted disease and affect millions of people throughout the world. Genital warts appear as flesh-colored, round bumps of varying sizes. They can be smooth and flat or cauliflower-like with a small stalk. They can be seen on the labia, vagina, penis, scrotum, anus, skin around the anus, and uret
HPV subtypes number 6 and 11 cause 97% of genital warts and are considered low risk because they very rarely will cause genital or anal cancer. On the other hand, HPV subtypes 16 and 18, for example, are considered high risk because, although they rarely cause genital warts, they can lead …
The primary features of cancer are maintained via intrinsically modified metabolic activity, which is characterized by enhanced nutrient supply, energy production, and biosynthetic activity to synthesize a variety of macromolecular components during each passage through the cell cycle.
Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid (building block of protein) in the body. Its main storage site is in the musculature; where about 60% of all the unbound amino acids are glutamine (glutamine makes up a smaller percentage of muscle protein, the main bound form). Glutamine has been called a “conditionally essential” nutrient, because it is non-essential in normal situations (meaning that the body can normally synthesize what it needs; not required in the diet), but in severe illness or injury becomes insufficient (there is then a need for supplementation from the …
It is only recently that a clear link has been established between stem cells and cancer in a variety of cancer types since cancers often arise from the transformation of normal stem cells. In solid organs, cancer stem cells create all the cells in the tumors. But in blood cancers they create havoc in the circulatory and immune systems by spawning large numbers of immature or abnormal cells (usually white blood cells).
For example, in leukemia, these abnormal cells pool in the bone marrow and displace healthy cells, attack or overwhelm the immune system, or cause a platelet or red blood cell deficiency leading to poor wound healing or anemia. Because a stem cell always retains a “copy” of itself in the process of cell division, the leukemia stem cell has …
