VDAC exhibitsa conductance and selectivity that is dependent onthe membrane potential: the channel is in a high-conductance, moderatelyanion-selective state at low membrane potentials; however, at an absolutevalue of a few tens of millivolts, the channel closes and becomescation-selective5,12 (cf. potential across the outermitochondrial membrane is estimated to be in the range up to ±60mV).13 VDAC is a critical player in mitochondrialapoptosis, and its malfunction may lead to cancer and neurodegeneration.14 This evidence concerns the gene VDAC1 and cancer.