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Inositol Phosphates Have Novel Anticancer Function^1,2,

Department of Pathology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201-1192

Inositol hexaphosphate (InsP₆, phytic acid) is ubiquitous in the plant kingdom and is abundant in cereals and legumes. In much smaller amounts InsP₆ and its lower phosphorylated forms (InsP_1–5) are contained in most mammalian cells, where they are important in regulating vital cellular functions. Both in vivo and in vitro experiments have suggested striking anticancer potential (preventive as well as therapeutic) for InsP₆ with and without inositol. In addition to reduce cell proliferation, InsP₆ increases differentiation of malignant cells often resulting in reversion to the normal phenotype. InsP₆ is quickly absorbed from the rat stomach and upper intestine and distributed as inositol and InsP₁. In vitro it is instantaneously taken up by malignant cells undergoing variable dephosphorylation to inositol and InsP_1–5, pointing toward their role in mediating the action of InsP₆. Because InsP₆ is high in high-fiber diets, our studies also may explain, at least in part, the epidemiologic observation showing high-fiber diets are associated with a lower incidence of certain cancers. Although further studies are needed to elucidate the mechanism(s) of this action, inclusion of InsP₆ in our strategies for cancer prevention and therapy is warranted.

KEY WORDS: • chemoprevention • differentiation • inositol hexaphosphate • phytic acid • signal transduction

¹ Presented at the First International Symposium on the Role of Soy in Preventing and Treating Chronic Disease, held in Mesa, AZ, February 20–23, 1994. The symposium was sponsored by Protein Technologies International, the soybean growers from Nebraska, Indiana and Iowa and the United Soybean Board. Guest editors for this symposium were Mark Messina, 1543 Lincoln Street, Port Townsend, WA 98368, and John W. Erdman, Jr., Division of Nutritional Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801-3852.

² Supported in part by a Special Research Initiative Support awards from the UMAB Designated Research Initiative Fund and American Institute for Cancer Research grants (MG92B01).