The role of gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC) disorders in experimental and human carcinogenesis

V. Krutovskikh and H. Yamasaki

Unit of Multistage Carcinogenesis, International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France

Offprint requests to: Dr. V. Krutovskikh, Unit of Multistage Carcinogenesis, International Agency for Research on Cancer, 150, cours Albert Thomas, 69272 Lyon Cedex 08, France

Summary. There is a growing body of evidence supporting the etiologic implication of gap junctional intercellular communication disorders in carcinogenesis. Substantial progress has recently been made both in molecular biology of gap junction and in the field of cancer research . They prov ide new insights and conceptions of gap junctional disorders in tumor pathology. Modern understanding of the structure, function and regulation of gap junctions, as well as putative mechanisms of its disorders in human and experimental carcinogenesis are discussed in this review with particular emphasis on fast-moving aspects of this problem. Histol Histopathol 12, 761-768 (1997)

Key words: Gap junction, Connexin , GJIC, Hepatocarcinogenesis

DOI: 10.14670/HH-12.761