Abstract
Geranylgeranoic acid (all-trans 3,7,11,15-tetramethyl-2,6,10,14-hexadecatetraenoic acid or GGA)
is a compound that is chemically categorized as isoprenoids, consisting of 4-isoprene units linked in a
tail-to-head manner and has a carboxyl group at its tail terminus. GGA has been developed for cancer
chemoprevention. Several studies have been conducted on the molecular and cellular mechanisms of
GGA-induced cell death. In addition, GGA has been reported to be a natural compound present in some
medicinal herbs used in traditional medicine. GGA was recognized as one of the mevalonate (MVA)-derived
metabolites in not only plants, but also cell-free homogenates of bovine retina and in parasitic worms. In this
review, we present evidence for a biosynthetic pathway from MVA to GGA in mammalian cells, including
humans, an age-dependent decrease in hepatic GGA content in mice that spontaneously develop hepatoma
(C3H/HeN mice), and the possibility that the oral administration of GGA prevents hepatocarcinogenesis in
C3H/HeN mice.
