IP6 May Stop Growth
of Liver Cancer Cells
In a study of human liver cancer cells treated with inositol
hexaphosphate (IP6) and transplanted into mice, Abulkalam M.
Shamsuddin, MD, PhD, professor of pathology at the University of
Maryland, and colleagues found that IP6 slowed or stopped the
growth of liver cancer cells and shrank existing tumors three- to
four-fold. The Maryland researchers report on their findings at
the American Association for Cancer Research annual meeting in New
Orleans on Monday, March 30, 2000.
"IP6 does not kill cancer cells; it tames them and makes
them behave like normal cells," says Shamsuddin. His research
has focused on the cancer-fighting properties of the sugar-based
compound for more than a decade.
Inositol hexaphosphate is a sugar molecule attached to six
phosphate molecules. It is found throughout nature, in wheat and
rice bran, legumes such as soybeans, and virtually every kind of
mammalian cell. It plays an important role in regulating vital
cellular functions, including cell proliferation and
differentiation. IP6 decreases proliferation of cancer cells and
causes them to differentiate, often reverting to the size, shape
and structure of normal cells, Shamsuddin reports. "IP6 has
striking anticancer action, both in vitro (in a test tube) and in
vivo (in live animals)," he says. In the human liver cancer
cell study, Shamsuddin's team treated human hepatocellular
carcinoma cells with varying doses of pure IP6. The result was
partial to complete inhibition of cell growth and proliferation,
depending on the dose. Treated cells transplanted into mice
produced no tumors over the 41 days of the experiment, while 71
percent of mice receiving untreated cancer cells developed tumors.
Mice that developed tumors from the human cancer-cell line were
injected with IP6 for 12 consecutive days. After the last
treatment, their tumors weighed three- to four-fold less than they
had before the injections, Shamsuddin reports.
IP6 has moved in and out of medical favor ever since its
discovery. Its antioxidant properties sparked excitement, followed
by concern that IP6 binds tightly with important minerals such as
calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and zinc, preventing the body
from absorbing them properly. Recent studies have shown that
concern to be unfounded, says Shamsuddin.
It is true that IP6, when consumed, combines with various proteins
and other large molecules to form insoluble compounds which are
not readily absorbed or metabolized, the researcher notes. For
that reason, adding IP6 to the diet would be less effective than
giving it in a pure form, dissolved in water and either drunk or
injected, the researcher says.
"Although IP6 is the substance responsible for cereal's
anticancer effects, intake of pure IP6 may be a more practical
approach than gorging on enormous quantities of dietary fiber to
prevent cancer," he remarks.
Shamsuddin also has tested IP6 on colon, lung, breast and prostate
cancer cells, on leukemias, fibrosarcomas and muscle cell cancers
in children.
"IP6 has a potential for use as a novel preventive measure
and treatment for a variety of cancers," Shamsuddin suggests.
It also holds promise for prevention and treatment of
cardiovascular disease, kidney stones and possibly even
immune-system disorders like AIDS, he says.
Shamsuddin's research was supported in part by the American
Institute for Cancer Research.
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