Mechanisms of Biological Actions of Inositol and InsP6 I: Cell Survival, Proliferation and Differentiation

Abstract

A fundamental defect in cancer cells is the abnormal and uncontrolled cell proliferation. Along with that, there is de-differentiation to an immature or primitive phenotype. InsP₆ and inositol normalize the abnormal cell proliferation rate and induce increased differentiation so that the cancer cells begin to look and behave akin to normal cells. Examples of these are shown in colon cancer, erythroleukemia and mammary cancer, and rhabdomyosarcoma cells. In colon cancer cells that produce the cancer marker ß-D-Galactose-[1→3]-N-acetyl-D-galactosamine (Gal-GalNAc), InsP₆ inhibits the expression of the marker in the intracellular mucus without suppressing the production of mucus, a normal function of colon epithelial cells.

Keywords: Aberrant crypt, ACF, actin, anoikis, apoptosis, erythroleukemia, HeLa cells, HL-60 cells, lactalbumin, mucin, PCNA, rhabdomyosarcoma, tumor marker.