Warburg's cancer theory revisited: a fundamentally new approach

Warburg's cancer theory was based on cell injury at the bioenergetic system level. Posteriorly done research work on cell membrane biology, and on the role of calcium in the multifunctional capabilities of the cell (respiration, protein metabolism, membrane physiology, mitosis, etc.) has been used to corroborate another years ago stated hypothesis on carcinogenesis. The consequently new theory states that a cell injury at the cell membrane level is the event triggering a massive influx of calcium ions, and as the result of which some cells die by toxic death (necrosis) while, in order to survive others must adapt themselves to a changed intracellular ionic environment. This adaptation process leads to a more primitive way of life (neoplasia) where the cells appear to be independent of biological signals, specially those calcium-dependent. The increased intracellular calcium concentration seems also to be the cause of increased cell glycolysis (Warburg's observation), and of the preneoplastic hyperplasia by uncontrolled translational mRNA activity.