イソチオシアネートによるがんの化学予防の可能性

A promising group of compounds that have a chemopreventive property are isothiocyanates (ITCs). ITCs have been shown to induce apoptosi in various cancer cell lines and experimental rodents. Multiple signaltransduction pathways as well as apoptosis intermediates have been also posturalted. We recently clarified the moleculae mechanism underlying the relationship between cell cycle arrest ad apoptosis induced by benzyl isothiocyanate(BITC), a major ITC compound isolated from papaya. The exposure of cells to BITC resulted in the inhibition of the G₂/M progression that coincided with not only hte up-regulated expression of the G₂/M cell cycle arrest-regulating genes but also the apoptosis induction. Conversely, treatment with an excessive concentration of BITC resulted in an abortive apoptotic pathway without DNA ladder formation. This commentary will review the biological impact of cell death induction by BITC as well as other ITCs and the involved signal transduction pathways.