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J Clin Pathol 2007;60:749-755 doi:10.1136/jcp.2006.041475
  • Review

The significance of substance P in physiological and malignant haematopoiesis

  1. Michal Nowicki1,
  2. Danuta Ostalska-Nowicka2,
  3. Beata Kondraciuk1,
  4. Bogdan Miskowiak3
  1. 1Department of Histology and Embryology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poland
  2. 2Department of Pediatric Cardiology and Nephrology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poland
  3. 3Department of Optometry and Biology of the Visual System, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poland
  1. Correspondence to:
 Dr Michal Nowicki
 Department of Histology and Embryology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, ul. Swiecickiego 6, 60-781 Poznan, Poland; mnowicki{at}amp.edu.pl
  • Accepted 10 December 2006
  • Published Online First 15 December 2006

Abstract

The role of substance P (SP) in physiological haematopoiesis is well established. However, it also seems to be important in the neoplastic transformation of bone marrow, leading to the development of acute leukaemia in children, and also metastases to bone marrow of solid tumours (particularly neuroblastoma and breast cancer) in early stages of these diseases. This review summarises the available data on SP involvement in both processes. In the future, SP antagonists may be used as anti-neoplastic drugs, for example by direct or indirect blocking of tumour cell proliferation through inhibition of growth factor production and interleukin-1b synthesis.

Footnotes

  • Published Online First 15 December 2006

  • Competing interests: None.

Responses to this article

  • Substance P and cancer
    • Kenneth A Hoekstra, PhD
    J Clin Pathol published online January 15, 2007

This Article

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  4. All versions of this article:
    1. jcp.2006.041475v1
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