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The role of polyamines in gastric cancer

Oncogene volume 40, pages 4399–4412 (2021)Cite this article

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Abstract

Advancements in our understanding of polyamine molecular and cellular functions have led to increased interest in targeting polyamine metabolism for anticancer therapeutic benefits. The polyamines putrescine, spermidine, and spermine are polycationic alkylamines commonly found in all living cells and are essential for cellular growth and survival. This review summarizes the existing research on polyamine metabolism and function, specifically the role of polyamines in gastric immune cell and epithelial cell function. Polyamines have been implicated in a multitude of cancers, but in this review, we focus on the role of polyamine dysregulation in the context of Helicobacter pylori-induced gastritis and subsequent progression to gastric cancer. Due to the emerging implication of polyamines in cancer development, there is an increasing number of promising clinical trials using agents to target the polyamine metabolic pathway for potential chemoprevention and anticancer therapy.

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Fig. 1: The polyamine metabolic pathway.
Fig. 2: The role of polyamines on H. pylori-induced GC.

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Acknowledgements

This work was funded by NIH grants R01CA190612 (K.T.W.), P01CA116087 (K.T.W.), P01CA028842 (K.T.W.), and R21AI142042 (K.T.W.); Veterans Affairs Merit Review grants I01BX001453 and I01CX002171 (K.T.W.); Department of Defense grant W81XWH-18-1-0301 (K.T.W.); Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation Senior Research Award 703003 (K.T.W.); the Thomas F. Frist Sr. Endowment (K.T.W.); and the Vanderbilt Center for Mucosal Inflammation and Cancer (K.T.W.). K.T.W. also receives support from the Vanderbilt Digestive Disease Research Center (NIH grant P30DK058404). K.M.M. was supported by NIH grant T32CA009592.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Department of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA

    Kara M. McNamara, Alain P. Gobert & Keith T. Wilson

  2. Program in Cancer Biology, Nashville, TN, USA

    Kara M. McNamara & Keith T. Wilson

  3. Center for Mucosal Inflammation and Cancer, Nashville, TN, USA

    Alain P. Gobert & Keith T. Wilson

  4. Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA

    Keith T. Wilson

  5. Veterans Affairs Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Nashville, TN, USA

    Keith T. Wilson

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  1. Kara M. McNamara
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Correspondence to Keith T. Wilson.

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McNamara, K.M., Gobert, A.P. & Wilson, K.T. The role of polyamines in gastric cancer. Oncogene 40, 4399–4412 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41388-021-01862-x

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