Department of Biochemistry, College of Medicine, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, 301-747, Korea.
Anticancer Agents Med Chem. 2013 Oct;13(8):1162-77. doi: 10.2174/18715206113139990319.
While the anticancer effect of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (omega-3 fatty acids), particularly eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), has been the subject of intense study, our understanding regarding the underlying mechanisms of omega-3 fatty acids against cancer is still limited. Recent studies describing the cancer protective effect of EPA and DHA have sparked a renewed interest in using these fatty acids for cancer prevention and treatment. Here, we summarize the significance of omega- 3 fatty acids in the initiation and progression of cancer, and review the complex mechanisms by which EPA and DHA are thought to have anticancer activities during cancer development. It is concluded that omega-3 fatty acids may exert their anticancer actions by influencing multiple targets implicated in various stages of cancer development, including cell proliferation, cell survival, angiogenesis, inflammation, metastasis and epigenetic abnormalities that are crucial to the onset and progression of cancer.
虽然ω-3 多不饱和脂肪酸（ω-3 脂肪酸），特别是二十碳五烯酸（EPA）和二十二碳六烯酸（DHA）的抗癌作用一直是研究的热点，但我们对 ω-3 脂肪酸抗癌作用的潜在机制的理解仍然有限。最近描述 EPA 和 DHA 抗癌作用的研究激发了人们对使用这些脂肪酸预防和治疗癌症的新兴趣。在这里，我们总结了 ω-3 脂肪酸在癌症发生和发展中的重要性，并综述了 EPA 和 DHA 被认为在癌症发展过程中具有抗癌活性的复杂机制。结论是，ω-3 脂肪酸可能通过影响多种涉及癌症发展各个阶段的靶标发挥其抗癌作用，包括细胞增殖、细胞存活、血管生成、炎症、转移和对癌症发生和进展至关重要的表观遗传异常。
