Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 29, 2026

Analysis of Human T Cell Activity in an Allogeneic Co-Culture Setting of Pre-Treated Tumor Cells
Published on: March 7, 2025
Allicin stimulates lymphocytes and elicits an antitumor effect: a possible role of p21ras
Miriam Patya1, Muayad A Zahalka, Alexey Vanichkin
1Felsenstein Medical Research Center, Sackler Faculty of Medicine-Tel Aviv University, Rabin Medical Center-Beilinson Campus, Petah-Tikva 49100, Israel.
Abstract:
Allicin, the main organic allyl sulfur component in garlic, exhibits immune-stimulatory and antitumor properties. Allicin stimulated [(3)H]thymidine incorporation in mouse splenocytes and enhanced cell-mediated cytotoxicity in human peripheral mononuclear cells. Multiple administration (i.p.) of allicin elicited a marked antitumor effect in mice inoculated with B-16 melanoma and MCA-105 fibrosarcoma. The immune-stimulatory and antitumor effects of allicin are characterized by a bell-shaped curve, i.e. allicin at high, supra-optimal concentrations is less effective or inhibitory. Allicin induced activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2) in human peripheral mononuclear cells, and also in wild-type Jurkat T-cells. Allicin failed to activate ERK1/2 in Jurkat T cells that express p21(ras), in which Cys118 was replaced by Ser. These cells are not susceptible to redox-stress modification and activation. We postulate that the immune stimulatory effect of allicin is mediated by redox-sensitive signaling such as activation of p21(ras). It is suggested that the antitumor effect of allicin is related to its immune-stimulatory properties.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Abnormal Proliferation
Interactions Between Signaling Pathways
Convergence and divergence, and cross-talk between signaling pathways
Two distinct signaling pathways can converge on a single functional unit, which may either be a single protein or a complex of proteins. The response is either functionally distinct or synergistic between the two pathways but different from the response...
Tumor Immunotherapy
The Ras Gene
Ras is a superfamily...
mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression
The mTOR pathway or the...
The Intrinsic Apoptotic Pathway

