Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 20, 2025
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
11.4K
Spermidine as a target for cancer therapy
Jingjing Fan1, Ziyuan Feng2, Ning Chen1
1Tianjiu Research and Development Center for Exercise Nutrition and Foods, Hubei Key Laboratory of Exercise Training and Monitoring, College of Health Science, Wuhan Sports University, Wuhan 430079, China.
Pharmacological Research
|May 29, 2020
Summary
Spermidine, a natural compound, shows potential in extending lifespan and reducing cancer mortality. While it may suppress tumor formation, it could also accelerate existing tumor growth, making it a key target for cancer prevention and treatment.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Cell Biology
- Oncology
Background:
- Spermidine is a natural polyamine crucial for eukaryotic cell growth and development.
- Supplementation of spermidine has been linked to extended healthspan and lifespan across species.
- Elevated polyamine levels are biomarkers in various cancers, yet increased spermidine intake may reduce cancer mortality.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the dual role of spermidine in cancer development and its potential as a therapeutic target.
- To investigate the mechanisms linking spermidine to cancer, including polyamine metabolism, immunosurveillance, autophagy, and apoptosis.
Main Methods:
- Review of epidemiological data on spermidine intake and cancer mortality.
- Analysis of proposed mechanisms of spermidine action in cancer.
- Evaluation of spermidine's impact on tumorigenesis versus established tumor growth.
Main Results:
- Increased spermidine intake correlates with reduced overall cancer mortality.
- Spermidine's effects on cancer involve intricate regulation of polyamine metabolism.
- Spermidine may suppress initial tumor formation but potentially accelerate established tumor growth.
Conclusions:
- Spermidine exhibits a complex relationship with cancer, influencing both prevention and progression.
- The precise regulation of polyamine metabolism is critical in mediating spermidine's effects.
- Spermidine represents a promising target for cancer chemoprevention and clinical therapy due to its essential role in tumor growth.
Related Concept Videos
02:57Targeted Cancer Therapies
8.5K
The targeted cancer therapies, also known as “molecular targeted therapies,” take advantage of the molecular and genetic differences between the cancer cells and the normal cells. It needs a thorough understanding of the cancer cells to develop drugs that can target specific molecular aspects that drive the growth, progression, and spread of cancer cells without affecting the growth and survival of other normal cells in the body.
There are several types of targeted therapies against...
There are several types of targeted therapies against...
8.5K
01:15Drugs that Stabilize Microtubules
2.5K
Microtubules are dynamic structures that undergo cycles of catastrophe and rescue. The microtubules play a central role in cell division by forming the spindle apparatus for segregating the chromosomes. This makes them ideal targets for regulating dividing cells in tumors and malignant cancer cells. Microtubule stabilizing drugs help stabilize the microtubule formation and promote its polymerization. Paclitaxel was the first microtubule stabilizing agent used as anticancer drug in chemotherapy...
2.5K
02:34Inhibition of Cdk Activity
5.5K
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...
5.5K
01:10Drugs that Destabilize Microtubules
3.5K
Microtubules are dynamic structures and can be regulated by microtubule targeting agents (MTAs). Microtubule destabilizing drugs are a class of MTAs that destabilize and prevent microtubules' polymerization. Both natural and synthetic chemicals can be found under this class of drugs. Vincristine and vinblastine, two vinca alkaloids, and colchicine were among the first to be discovered. These drugs can affect cells in various ways, either by inducing a change in cell morphology, preventing...
3.5K
02:50Combination Therapies and Personalized Medicine
5.8K
Combining two or more treatment methods increases the life span of cancer patients while reducing damage to vital organs or tissue from the overuse of a single treatment. Combination therapy also targets different cancer-inducing pathways, thus reducing the chances of developing resistance to treatment.
The combination of the drug acetazolamide and sulforaphane is a good example of combination therapy to treat cancer. The cells in the interior of a large tumor often die due to the hypoxic and...
The combination of the drug acetazolamide and sulforaphane is a good example of combination therapy to treat cancer. The cells in the interior of a large tumor often die due to the hypoxic and...
5.8K
02:15M-Cdk Drives Transition Into Mitosis
6.2K
Checkpoints throughout the cell cycle serve as safeguards and gatekeepers, allowing the cell cycle to progress in favorable conditions and slow or halt it in problematic ones. This regulation is known as the cell cycle control system.
Cyclin-dependent kinases, or Cdks, work in concert with cyclins to control cell cycle transitions. M-Cdk, a complex of Cdk1 bound to M cyclin, is a well-known example of this coordinated control that drives the transition from the G2 to the M phase.
M cyclin...
Cyclin-dependent kinases, or Cdks, work in concert with cyclins to control cell cycle transitions. M-Cdk, a complex of Cdk1 bound to M cyclin, is a well-known example of this coordinated control that drives the transition from the G2 to the M phase.
M cyclin...
6.2K