12-0-Tetradecanoyl Phorbol-13-Acetate (TPA) and Its Effect on Leukaemic Cells, In-vitro-A Review.

The action of the promoting agent 12-0-tetradecanoyl phorbol-13-acetate (TPA), an active component of croton oil, on the cell membrane, is described. TPA primarily acts on Protein Kinase C (PKC), which is the prime target for this agent. PKC activation and calcium mobilization are the basic pathways for signal transduction and the regulation of differentiation, explaining how TPA affects cell growth and proliferation in some cell types. The effects of TPA on leukaemic cells in-vitro, is reviewed and the changes in cell surface features, membrane phenotype, regulation of growth and differentiation in leukaemic cells and particularly in B-cell neoplasias are described and discussed in detail. The importance of incubation of leukaemic cells with TPA, as a routine in-vitro test in leukaemia is emphasized, in the light of information reported in this review.