title: The role of vitamin B12 and folate in carcinogenesis.
abstract: The roles of vitamin B12 and folate in carcinogenesis are largely extensions of and linked to their roles in normal metabolism, particularly 1-carbon unit metabolism. A possible key area may be hypomethylation to "switch on" genes and methylation to "switch them off." Some vitamin analogues may act as antivitamins in these reactions, as may some vitamin-binding proteins. Others may act as specific delivery proteins. Using appropriate radioactive substrates and suspensions of vitamin-dependent normal and malignant cells, it may be possible to work out their positive and negative control of DNA synthesis.
mesh_terms: D002273:Carcinogens; D004261:DNA Replication / Q000187:drug effects; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D005494:Folic Acid Deficiency / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology*; D014805:Vitamin B 12 / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D014806:Vitamin B 12 Deficiency / Q000150:complications*
chemical_list: D002273:Carcinogens; D005492:Folic Acid; D014805:Vitamin B 12