Skip Navigation
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

Use this QR code to view the newest version of this document
Use this QR code to view the newest version of this document

Your Environment. Your Health.

Publication Detail

Title: Polyamines and cancer: implications for chemotherapy and chemoprevention.

Authors: Nowotarski, Shannon L; Woster, Patrick M; Casero Jr, Robert A

Published In Expert Rev Mol Med, (2013)

Abstract: Polyamines are small organic cations that are essential for normal cell growth and development in eukaryotes. Under normal physiological conditions, intracellular polyamine concentrations are tightly regulated through a dynamic network of biosynthetic and catabolic enzymes, and a poorly characterised transport system. This precise regulation ensures that the intracellular concentration of polyamines is maintained within strictly controlled limits. It has frequently been observed that the metabolism of, and the requirement for, polyamines in tumours is frequently dysregulated. Elevated levels of polyamines have been associated with breast, colon, lung, prostate and skin cancers, and altered levels of rate-limiting enzymes in both biosynthesis and catabolism have been observed. Based on these observations and the absolute requirement for polyamines in tumour growth, the polyamine pathway is a rational target for chemoprevention and chemotherapeutics. Here we describe the recent advances made in the polyamine field and focus on the roles of polyamines and polyamine metabolism in neoplasia through a discussion of the current animal models for the polyamine pathway, chemotherapeutic strategies that target the polyamine pathway, chemotherapeutic clinical trials for polyamine pathway-specific drugs and ongoing clinical trials targeting polyamine biosynthesis.

PubMed ID: 23432971 Exiting the NIEHS site

MeSH Terms: Animals; Anticarcinogenic Agents/pharmacology; Anticarcinogenic Agents/therapeutic use; Antineoplastic Agents/pharmacology; Antineoplastic Agents/therapeutic use; Biological Transport; Biosynthetic Pathways; Enzyme Inhibitors/pharmacology; Enzyme Inhibitors/therapeutic use; Epigenesis, Genetic/drug effects; Humans; Molecular Targeted Therapy; Neoplasms/drug therapy*; Neoplasms/metabolism; Neoplasms/prevention & control; Ornithine Decarboxylase/antagonists & inhibitors; Ornithine Decarboxylase/metabolism; Polyamines/metabolism*

Back
to Top