Antiproliferative effects of allium derivatives from garlic

There is increasing evidence that allium derivatives from garlic have signi ficant antiproliferative actions on human cancers. Both hormone-responsive and hormone-unresponsive cells lines respond to these derivatives, The effe cts shown by allium derivatives include induction of apoptosis, regulation of cell cycle progression and modification of pathways of signal transducti on. Allium derivatives appear to regulate nuclear factors involved in immun e function and inflammation, as well as in cellular proliferation. Our own studies indicate that allium derivatives inhibit proliferation of the human prostate cancer cell line (LNCaP) and the human breast cancer cell line (M CF-7). Further research is required to clarify the mechanisms of inhibition of cellular proliferation by allium derivatives and to explore their poten tial application to cancer prevention and control.