Blockade of Ca3 calcium channels and induction of G/G cell cycle arrest in colon cancer cells by gossypol.

Background And Purpose: Gastrointestinal tumours overexpress voltage-gated calcium (Ca3) channels (Ca3.1, 3.2 and 3.

Leveraging the ATP-P2X7 receptor signalling axis to alleviate traumatic CNS damage and related complications.

The P2X7 receptor is an exceptional member of the P2X purinergic receptor family, with its activation requiring high concentrations of extracellular adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) that are often associated with tissue damage and inflammation. In the central nervous system (CNS), it is highly expressed in glial cells, particularly in microglia. In this review, we discuss the role and mechanisms of the P2X7 receptor in mediating neuroinflammation and other pathogenic events in a variety of traumatic CNS damage conditions, which lead to loss of neurological and cognitive functions.

Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel Na1.5 Controls NHE-1-Dependent Invasive Properties in Colon Cancer Cells.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of death worldwide, with 0.9 million deaths per year. The metastatic stage of the disease is identified in about 20% of cases at the first diagnosis and is associated with low patient-survival rates.

P2x4 receptor promotes mammary cancer progression by sustaining autophagy and associated mesenchymal transition.

Metastatic progression is a major burden for breast cancer patients and is associated with the ability of cancer cells to overcome stressful conditions, such as nutrients deprivation and hypoxia, and to gain invasive properties. Autophagy and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition are critical contributors to these processes. Here, we show that the P2X4 purinergic receptor is upregulated in breast cancer biopsies from patients and it is primarily localised in endolysosomes.

The Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel Beta4 Subunit Maintains Epithelial Phenotype in Mammary Cells.

The gene, coding for the Naβ4 subunit of voltage-gated sodium channels, was recently found to be expressed in normal epithelial cells and down-regulated in several cancers. However, its function in normal epithelial cells has not been characterized. In this study, we demonstrated that reducing Naβ4 expression in MCF10A non-cancer mammary epithelial cells generated important morphological changes observed both in two-dimensional cultures and in three-dimensional cysts.

Pharmacological and nutritional targeting of voltage-gated sodium channels in the treatment of cancers.

Voltage-gated sodium (Na) channels, initially characterized in excitable cells, have been shown to be aberrantly expressed in non-excitable cancer tissues and cells from epithelial origins such as in breast, lung, prostate, colon, and cervix, whereas they are not expressed in cognate non-cancer tissues. Their activity was demonstrated to promote aggressive and invasive potencies of cancer cells, both and , whereas their deregulated expression in cancer tissues has been associated with metastatic progression and cancer-related death. This review proposes Na channels as pharmacological targets for anticancer treatments providing opportunities for repurposing existing Na-inhibitors or developing new pharmacological and nutritional interventions.

P2X7 Receptor Promotes Mouse Mammary Cancer Cell Invasiveness and Tumour Progression, and Is a Target for Anticancer Treatment.

The P2X7 receptor is an ATP-gated cation channel with a still ambiguous role in cancer progression, proposed to be either pro- or anti-cancerous, depending on the cancer or cell type in the tumour. Its role in mammary cancer progression is not yet defined. Here, we show that P2X7 receptor is functional in highly aggressive mammary cancer cells, and induces a change in cell morphology with fast F-actin reorganization and formation of filopodia, and promotes cancer cell invasiveness through both 2- and 3-dimensional extracellular matrices in vitro.

Rock inhibition promotes Na1.5 sodium channel-dependent SW620 colon cancer cell invasiveness.

The acquisition of invasive capacities by carcinoma cells, i.e. their ability to migrate through and to remodel extracellular matrices, is a determinant process leading to their dissemination and to the development of metastases.

Sodium Channel Na1.5 Controls Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition and Invasiveness in Breast Cancer Cells Through its Regulation by the Salt-Inducible Kinase-1.

Loss of epithelial polarity and gain in invasiveness by carcinoma cells are critical events in the aggressive progression of cancers and depend on phenotypic transition programs such as the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Many studies have reported the aberrant expression of voltage-gated sodium channels (Na) in carcinomas and specifically the Na1.5 isoform, encoded by the SCN5A gene, in breast cancer.

The invasiveness of human cervical cancer associated to the function of Na1.6 channels is mediated by MMP-2 activity.

Voltage-gated sodium (Na) channels have been related with cell migration and invasiveness in human cancers. We previously reported the contribution of Na1.6 channels activity with the invasion capacity of cervical cancer (CeCa) positive to Human Papilloma Virus type 16 (HPV16), which accounts for 50% of all CeCa cases.

Discovery and evaluation of nNa1.5 sodium channel blockers with potent cell invasion inhibitory activity in breast cancer cells.

Voltage-gated sodium channels (VGSC) are a well-established drug target for anti-epileptic, anti-arrhythmic and pain medications due to their presence and the important roles that they play in excitable cells. Recently, their presence has been recognized in non-excitable cells such as cancer cells and their overexpression has been shown to be associated with metastatic behavior in a variety of human cancers. The neonatal isoform of the VGSC subtype, Na1.

Block of human CaV3 channels by the diuretic amiloride.

Previous studies in native T-type currents have suggested the existence of distinct isoforms with dissimilar pharmacology. Amiloride was the first organic blocker to selectively block the native T-type calcium channel, but the potency and mechanism of block of this drug on the three recombinant T-type calcium channels (Ca(V)3.1, Ca(V)3.