What causes excessive influx of calcium into cytoplasm leading to cancer?
Research has shown that a variety of cancers may be traced to the fact that an overabundance of calcium is released from the endoplasmic reticulum and into the cytoplasm. This overabundant calcium causes an increased metabolism as well as cell growth to an uncontrollable degree. A malfunction in the process of normal calcium release is most likely the cause of the cancer. Roughly, the normal process begins with a hormone binding to the receptor in the plasma membrane which in turn activates a G protein. The G protein then activates the phospholipase C. This enzyme then cleaves a molecule called PIP2 which produces inositol triphosphate (InsP3). The InsP3 thought to trigger the release of calcium. The question is, where along this process does it malfunction, leading to cancer and why does it malfunction?
