Zinc is an essential and the second most abundant trace element in humans. Zinc is a structural component of different proteins involved in the transcriptional machinery, such as transcription factors and ribosomes and the presence of zinc is also necessary for DNA synthesis. Zinc not only improves cell mediated immune functions but also functions as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent. Oxidative stress and chronic inflammation have been implicated in development of many cancers. Various types of tumor cell lines have been used to investigate the cellular effects of zinc ions and its connection with metallothioneins (MTs). Dietary zinc deficiency is associated with oxidative stress in the reproductive organs with consequent decline in MTs levels indicative of association of MTs expression and apoptosis and perturbation of homeostatic zinc level. Treatment of prostate cancer with zinc causes an increase in MTs expression, which is significantly associated with resistance to cisplatin chemotherapy and radiotherapy in prostate cancer. We review the role and recent advances of zinc and MTs in prostate cancer in the last years.

Central European Institute of Technology Brno University of Technology Czech Republic European Union