title: Can linoleic acid and gamma-linolenic acid be important in cancer treatment?
abstract: This hypothesis proposes that the essential fatty acids (EFAs), linoleic acid (LA) and gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), play important roles in cancer treatment. Oxidation of LA by lipoxidase especially increases tumour cell death, whilst GLA inhibits urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) activity. Increased uPA activity is: firstly, responsible for cancer invasion and metastasis and secondly, responsible for proteolysis of lipoxidase which favours a decrease in cancer cell death. Addition of LA and GLA to available therapeutic regimens may be worth considering in cancer treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, HF Verwoerd Hospital, University of Pretoria, South Africa.
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Van Aswegen
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Du Plessis
mesh_terms: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016923:Cell Death / Q000187:drug effects; D005228:Fatty Acids, Essential / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D019787:Linoleic Acid; D008041:Linoleic Acids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008084:Lipoxygenase / Q000502:physiology; D008954:Models, Biological; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000502:physiology; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000502:physiology; D017965:gamma-Linolenic Acid / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D005228:Fatty Acids, Essential; D008041:Linoleic Acids; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D010938:Plant Oils; D017965:gamma-Linolenic Acid; D019787:Linoleic Acid; D008084:Lipoxygenase; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator