Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 20, 2026
06:00
Through the Looking Glass: Time-lapse Microscopy and Longitudinal Tracking of Single Cells to Study Anti-cancer Therapeutics
Published on: May 14, 2016
Effect of citrus pectin on malignant cell proliferation
M Bergman1, M Djaldetti, H Salman
1Department of Medicine C, Rabin Medical Center, Hasharon Hospital, Israel.
Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & Pharmacotherapie
|September 15, 2009
Summary
Citrus pectin (CP) effectively inhibited the growth of colon carcinoma and erythroleukemia cells. This anti-proliferative effect may be linked to CP
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Biochemistry
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Cancer cell proliferation is a key factor in tumor growth and metastasis.
- Galectins are proteins involved in cell growth and metastasis, expressed by many malignant cells.
- Citrus pectin (CP) is a complex carbohydrate with potential therapeutic properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of citrus pectin (CP) on the proliferation of malignant cell lines.
- To explore the relationship between galectin expression and CP's anti-proliferative activity.
Main Methods:
- Exposure of four malignant cell lines to various doses of citrus pectin (CP).
- Assessment of cell proliferation capacity.
- Analysis of galectin expression in treated and untreated cells.
Main Results:
- Citrus pectin (CP) significantly inhibited the proliferation of two colon carcinoma and one erythroleukemia cell line.
- Raji cells, which lack galectin expression, were unaffected by CP treatment.
- The three responsive cell lines expressed galectins, while Raji cells did not.
Conclusions:
- Citrus pectin (CP) demonstrates anti-proliferative effects on specific malignant cell lines.
- The inhibition of proliferation by CP may be mediated by its interaction with galectin expression.
- CP's potential as an anti-cancer agent warrants further investigation, particularly concerning its mechanism involving galectins.
Related Concept Videos
02:23Abnormal Proliferation
Under normal conditions, most adult cells remain in a non-proliferative state unless stimulated by internal or external factors to replace lost cells. Abnormal cell proliferation is a condition in which the cell's growth exceeds and is uncoordinated with normal cells. In such situations, cell division persists in the same excessive manner even after cessation of the stimuli, leading to persistent tumors. The tumor arises from the damaged cells that replicate to pass the damage to the daughter...
01:15Cellulose and Pectic Polysaccharides
Every plant cell has a cell wall that protects the cell, provides structural support, and gives the cell shape. Cellulose, the main structural component of the plant cell wall, makes up over 30% of plant matter. It is the most abundant organic compound on earth. Cellulose is an unbranched polysaccharide composed of linear chains of glucose molecules linked by β (1→4) glycosidic bonds.
As a cell matures, its cell wall specializes according to its type. For example, the parenchyma cells of...
As a cell matures, its cell wall specializes according to its type. For example, the parenchyma cells of...
02:34Inhibition of Cdk Activity
The orderly progression of the cell cycle depends on the activation of Cdk protein by binding to its cyclin partner. However, the cell cycle must be restricted when undergoing abnormal changes. Most cancers correlate to the deregulated cell cycle, and since Cdks are a central component of the cell cycle, Cdk inhibitors are extensively studied to develop anticancer agents. For instance, cyclin D associates with several Cdks, such as Cdk 4/6, to form an active complex. The cyclin D-Cdk4/6 complex...
02:38Mitogens and the Cell Cycle
Mitogens and their receptors play a crucial role in controlling the progression of the cell cycle. However, the loss of mitogenic control over cell division leads to tumor formation. Therefore, mitogens and mitogen receptors play an important role in cancer research. For instance, the epidermal growth factor (EGF) - a type of mitogen and its transmembrane receptor (EGFR), decides the fate of the cell's proliferation. When EGF binds to EGFR, a member of the ErbB family of tyrosine kinase...