Changes in the regulation of potassium channels are increasingly implicated in the altered activity of breast cancer cells. Increased or reduced expression of a number of K(+) channels have been identified in numerous breast cancer cell lines and cancerous tissue biopsy samples, compared to normal tissue, and are associated with tumor formation and spread, enhanced levels of proliferation, and resistance to apoptotic stimuli. Through knockout or silencing of K(+) channel genes, and use of specific or more broad pharmacologic K(+) channel blockers, the growth of numerous cell lines, including breast cancer cells, has been modified.
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