Magnesium and cancer: a dangerous liason

Illustrations

Figure 1 Neoplastic cells tend to have high intracellular concentrations of magnesium, which contribute to the regulation of various metabolic pathways and of systems involved in DNA repair, thus providing a selective advantage for the transformed cells. The figure also links the effects of high intracellular concentrations of magnesium on cell functions to some hallmarks of cancer as highlighted by Hanahan and Weinberg [14, 15].

Figure 2 In mice, magnesium deficiency participates both in early and in late phases of tumorigenesis. Initiation: low magnesium promotes oxidative stress and inflammation, which generate genetic instability and increases the risk of mutations. Mutations might generate the so-called “initiated” cell, which is potentially capable of triggering a tumor. Progression: once the tumor has developed, the persistence of oxidative stress and inflammation might generate further mutations that facilitate metastatic spreading, in the face of an inhibition of primary tumor growth.