Oral Precancerous Lesions Show Increased Levels of Glutathione Compared to Cancerous Tissue

Malignant cells are known to contain high amounts of glutathione, a potent endogenous anti-oxidant, which is believed to contribute to their increased rate of mitosis and resistance to chemo and radiotherapies. But there is very little information as to the levels of glutathione in precancerous cells. In the present study, it was noted that the concentrations of total glutathione is significantly higher in human precancerous cells compared to cancerous cells. The higher amounts of glutathione noted in precancerous cells could be a protective mechanism adopted to prevent oxidative stress-induced DNA damage that aids malignant transformation process.