title: Translational regulation of gene expression by omega-3 fatty acids.
abstract: The incidence of some cancers shows dramatic variations around the world that cannot be explained by ethnic or racial differences. Observational studies point to a negative correlation between consumption of fish and incidence of breast and prostate cancer. In vitro and animal model studies indicate that (omega-3) PUFAs present at high concentrations in marine animals inhibit proliferation of cancer cells and growth of tumors. However, how these fatty acids inhibit cell proliferation and tumor growth is a matter of considerable debate. In this review we summarize our recent work indicating that Ca(++) depletion mediated phosphorylation of the alpha subunit of eIF2 and subsequent inhibition of translation initiation account for the anti-cancer activity of (omega-3) PUFAs.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Translational Research and Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
authors.forename: Huseyin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Aktas
authors.forename: Jose A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Halperin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000502:physiology*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis
chemical_list: D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3