Colon Cancer and Rice Bran IP6

Nature's most effective iron-chelating molecule is inositol hexaphosphate (IP6), found naturally in seeds and bran. IP6 is a selective agent against cancer cells. Because cancer cells are high in iron content, IP6 directs most of its attention to abnormal cells. IP6 selectively removes iron from tumors cells, which deprives them of their primary growth factor. IP6 does not remove iron from red blood cells which are tightly bound to hemoglobin. Unlike cancer drugs, healthy cells are not affected with IP6, so IP6 has very low toxicity.

Because cancer is a major public health issue, the dramatic anticancer effect of IP6 has resulted in our quest for understanding its mechanism of action. A central pathway of cancer inhibition by IP6 is via control of cell division; and IP6 reduces the rate of cellular proliferation both in vivo and in vitro. Tian and Song (2006), have demonstrated that IP6 has potent inhibitory effect on proliferation of human colorectal cancer cell line (HT-29) by modulating proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and Cip1/p21 expression. Along with this reduction in cell proliferation, IP6 can regulate the cell cycle to block uncontrolled cell division and force malignant cells either to differentiate or to go into apoptosis (Matejuk and Shamsuddin, 2010).

http://www.academicjournals.org/JMPR/PDF/pdf2010/4Nov/Nurul-Husna%20et%20al.pdf

"Our study revealed that rice bran IP6 extract showed a significant growth inhibitory effect at all doses (9.5, 12 and 14.5 g/ml IP6) and time points (24, 48 and 72 h) employed in this in vitro assay. Based on the parameter of flow cytometry, this present study demonstrated that IP6 controls the progression of human colon cancer cell lines through the cell cycle arrest in the G0/G1 phase. After only 24 h treatment, IP6 prevented cells from entering the S phase of the cell cycle, resulting in the accumulation of cells in the G0/G1 phase. This finding is consistent with earlier reports in which commercial rice IP6 shown to induce G0/G1 arrest in colon cancer cells (El-Sherbiny et al., 2001). G1 arrest can prevent the replication of damaged DNA and therefore, is helpful in checking the uncontrolled proliferation of cancer cells (Andreeff et al., 2000)."

IP6 forms two molecules of IP3 in the body. Inositol, the backbone structure of IP6, has six carbon atoms that are capable of binding phosphate molecules; when all six carbons are occupied by six phosphate groups IP6 is formed. When only three of the carbon groups are bound by phosphate it is called IP3. This chemistry is important because although IP6 is gaining all the attention, it is really IP3 that is doing all the work. IP3 plays an important role inside the cells of our bodies. It basically functions as an on/off switch for human cancers according to experimental studies in cell cultures (in vitro studies). When IP3 levels are low (as in cancer cells), the cells replicate out of control. That basically is what occurs in cancer. When cancer cells are bathed in a broth of IP3, they literally turn themselves off. This action reflects the central role that IP3 plays in controlling key cell functions, including replication and the communication between cells.

Lucinda Ball

04/24/2011