Title:Redox-Related Mechanisms to Rebalance Cancer-Deregulated Cell Growth
Volume: 17
Issue: 12
Author(s): An-Sofie Stevens, Nicky Pirotte, Annelies Wouters, Andromeda Van Roten, Frank Van Belleghem, Maxime Willems, Ann Cuypers, Tom Artois and Karen Smeets
Affiliation:
Keywords:
Anticarcinogenic therapies, carcinogenesis, redox-related mechanisms, regeneration, stem cells.
Abstract: A delicate balance exists between the process of carcinogenesis and tissue regeneration. A
number of malignant tumours are considered the outcome of an impaired or incomplete regeneration
process, resulting in persistently dividing cells. Regeneration-competent tissues and animals are able to
prevent and counteract growth abnormalities and seem to have a low vulnerability to chemical carcinogenesis.
Cancer cell survival depends, among other things, on various redox-related mechanisms, which
are targets of currently developed therapies. Disadvantages of these therapies are a lack of specificity
and drug resistance. As the majority of these redox-related mechanisms also play an important role in
successful and coordinated cell functioning and reproduction, the regeneration process offers a unique
parallel context for modern cancer research. This review focuses on the interconnections between regeneration
and carcinogenesis and how an understanding of regenerative forces and redox-controlled
mechanisms could contribute to the identification of new therapeutic targets to block the growth and
survival of cancer cells.
