The intracellular metabolism of iodine in carcinogenesis

Research from this laboratory and others have concluded that significant glandular atypia, and often neoplasia, occurs in the breast tissues of rodents and humans under conditions of iodine deprivation. These cellular changes caused by iodine deficiency are intensified, by aging, steroid hormones, and pituitary hormones. There has been controversy concerning the effect of iodine deficiency on stimulation and maintenance of cancer of the breast in rodents when the cancer is induced chemically or by transplantation. However, neither within this induced neoplastic framework nor with the dysplastic changes seen by deficiency alone have laboratory studies of thepathway of intracellular iodine been previously possible. The new research data addresses the question of whether organification occurs and whether iodine significantly affects the intracellular structures. An hypothesis will be presented that places the inorganic element, iodine, into association with receptor protein complexes that may be responsible for intracellular sex hormone activity. The relationship of this mechanism to carcinogenesis in breast tissue will be considered.