Tumor Metastasis as an Adaptation of Tumor Cells to Fulfill Their Phosphorus Requirements

• 作 者: CarlaC.C.R.deCarvalho;MariaJoseCaramujo;
• 机 构: IBB-Institute for Biotechnology and Bioengineering Centre for Biological and Chemical Engineering In
• 出 处: BIT‘s2nd Annual World Cancer Congess-2009 (2009第二届癌症大会)
• 发表日期: 2009年期

　　Here we propose to consider cancer as an ecological phenomenon where cells compete for resources and resort to the colonization of other sites (metastasis) to meet their nutrient demands.Cells that proliferate rapidly require a high amount of ribosomes and other phosphorus (P) rich RNA components that are necessary to manufacture proteins.Studies on ecological stoichiornetry has led Sterner and Elser (2002) to propose the Growth Rate Hypothesis (GRH) that states that fast growing organisms should be richer in phosphorus (relatively low C∶P and N∶P cell content) than slow developing organisms as a result of high ribosome biogenesis.Inorganic phosphate (Pi) is a vital component of nucleotides, membrane phospholipids, nueleotides, and phosphorylated intermediates in cellular signaling and thus, a high demand of phosphorus would be a characteristic of fast growing cells or organisms.