Journal
MEDICAL HYPOTHESES
Volume 78, Issue 5, Pages 664-667Publisher
CHURCHILL LIVINGSTONE
DOI: 10.1016/j.mehy.2012.02.006
Keywords
-
Categories
Funding
- Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia, Portugal
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Inorganic phosphate (Pi) is a vital component of nucleotides, membrane phospholipids, and phosphorylated intermediates in cellular signalling. The Growth Rate Hypothesis (GRH) 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. Cells that proliferate rapidly, such as cancer cells, require a high amount of ribosomes and other P-rich RNA components that are necessary to manufacture proteins. The GRH hypothesis may be applied to cancer predicting that tumour cells are richer in phosphorus than the surrounding tissue, and that they resort to metastasis in order to meet their nutrient demands. Considering that the cells most P-deprived should be located in the inner parts of the tumour we propose that changes in the membrane of these cells favour the detachment of the more peripheral cells. (c) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available