Lupulescu A P
Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA.
Cancer Detect Prev. 1996;20(6):634-7.
It is well known that following the action of various carcinogens (chemical, physical, biological) on normal cells, a long period (latency) of several months to years (approximately 10 months approximately 30 years) in humans or one-half to two-thirds of the life span of laboratory animals occurs between development of precancer cells and their transformation into cancer cells. However, the molecular and biological events that take place within the precancer cells during this quiescent stage are not yet fully understood. The main purpose of this review is to evaluate the data from literature as well as my own findings regarding the preneoplastic cells and their progression into neoplastic cells. Recent studies reveal that preneoplastic cell development and transformation into cancer cells is determined initially by genetic (oncogenes, antioncogenes), with sequential multiple somatic mutations, and later by epigenetic or environmental cell factors such as hormones, growth factors (GFs), cytokines, vitamins, and prostaglandins (PGs). These factors can markedly change the evolution of preneoplastic cells by enhancing, retarding, or inhibiting their transformation into cancer cells, or even reversing them to a normal phenotype. These agents act on DNA, RNA, and protein synthesis, as well as on cell replication, cell cycles, cell surfaces, and intercellular communications. DNA, oncogenes, ultrastructural cell surface, and antigenic determination used as biomarkers are essential for early detection of preneoplastic cells and premalignant lesions. Further investigations regarding the precancer cell biology and metabolism will have a paramount significance for designing effective strategies for cancer prevention and treatment.
众所周知，在各种致癌物（化学、物理、生物）作用于正常细胞后，在人类中会出现长达数月至数年（约10个月至约30年）的长时间（潜伏期），在实验动物中则为其寿命的二分之一至三分之二，这段时间介于癌前细胞形成与其转化为癌细胞之间。然而，在此静止期癌前细胞内发生的分子和生物学事件尚未完全明了。本综述的主要目的是评估文献数据以及我自己关于癌前细胞及其向肿瘤细胞进展的研究结果。最近的研究表明，癌前细胞的发育和向癌细胞的转化最初由遗传因素（癌基因、抗癌基因）决定，伴有一系列体细胞突变，随后由表观遗传或环境细胞因子如激素、生长因子（GFs）、细胞因子、维生素和前列腺素（PGs）决定。这些因素可通过增强、延缓或抑制癌前细胞向癌细胞的转化，甚至使其逆转至正常表型，从而显著改变癌前细胞的演变。这些因子作用于DNA、RNA和蛋白质合成，以及细胞复制、细胞周期、细胞表面和细胞间通讯。用作生物标志物的DNA、癌基因、超微结构细胞表面和抗原测定对于癌前细胞和癌前病变的早期检测至关重要。关于癌前细胞生物学和代谢的进一步研究对于设计有效的癌症预防和治疗策略具有至关重要的意义。
