| Theme |
Present Status of Chemoprevention for Tumors Derived from Digestive Diseases |
| Title |
Chemoprevention and Glutathione S-transferase-pi |
| Author |
Tetsuji Takayama |
Department of Gastroenterology and Oncology, Institutes of Health Biosciences, the University of Tokushima Graduate School |
| Author |
Naoki Muguruma |
Department of Gastroenterology and Oncology, Institutes of Health Biosciences, the University of Tokushima Graduate School |
| Author |
Toshiya Okahisa |
Department of Gastroenterology and Oncology, Institutes of Health Biosciences, the University of Tokushima Graduate School |
| Author |
Seisuke Okamura |
Department of Gastroenterology and Oncology, Institutes of Health Biosciences, the University of Tokushima Graduate School |
| Author |
Yoshiro Niitsu |
4th Department of Internal Medicine. Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine |
| [ Summary ] |
Glutathione S-transferase-pi is a multifunctional protein whose various functions include the formation of glutathione conjugates, the binding of anticancer drugs, and the reduction of lipid peroxides. GST-pi is overexpressed in gastrointestinal cancers such as colonic cancer, pancreatic cancer, gall bladder cancer, etc. It is also expressed in precancerous lesions, including colonic adenoma and aberrant crypt foci (ACF), a precursor lesion of colonic adenoma and subsequent cancer. It is suggested that GST-pi promotes cell growth and inhibits apoptosis. Since the expression of GST-pi is very limited in normal tissue, except in the placenta, it appears to be a promising target for chemoprevention. In fact, a GST-pi inhibitor inhibited the formation of ACF and cancer in animal models of colon chemical carcinogenesis. |