Polyamines in clinical disorders.

An edited summary of an Interdepartmental Conference arranged by the Department of Medicine of the UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles. The Director of Conferences is William M. Pardridge, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine.Polyamines, necessary for cell growth, influence many cell functions. As small polyvalent cations they can change the configuration of large polyvalent anions, such as DNA, and alter their sensitivity to other molecules including chemotherapeutic agents. By altering polyamine content in a cell, we can change its growth, its susceptibility to drugs and change other cellular functions. Malignant conditions, other proliferative diseases and infections are the most apparent clinical conditions likely to improve by depleting polyamines and suppressing cell growth. Proliferative disorders of the skin respond to many agents that suppress polyamine metabolism. Hyperoxia may suppress cell growth in the lung by suppressing polyamine metabolism.