Histamine, polyamines, and cancer

Mammalian ornithine decarboxylase and histidine decarboxylase present commo n structural and Functional features, and their products also share pharmac ological and physiological properties. Although accumulated evidence pointe d for years to a direct involvement of polyamines and histamine in tumour g rowth, it has been only in the last few years that new molecular data have contributed to the clarification of this topic. The aim of this commentary is to review the molecular grounds of the rule of histamine and polyamines in cancer and to point to possible directions for future research in emergi ng areas of interest. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Inc.