γ-aminobutyric acid or GABA is an amino acid that functionally acts as a neurotransmitter and is critical to neurotransmission. GABA is also a metabolite in the Krebs cycle. It is therefore unsurprising that GABA and its receptors are also present outside of the central nervous system, including in immune cells. This observation suggests that GABAergic signaling impacts events beyond brain function and possibly human health beyond neurological disorders. Indeed, GABA receptor subunits are expressed in pathological disease states, including in disparate cancers. The role that GABA and its receptors may play in cancer development and progression remains unclear. If, however, those cancers have functional GABA receptors that participate in GABAergic signaling, it raises an important question whether these signaling pathways might be targetable for therapeutic benefit. Herein we summarize the effects of modulating Type-A GABA receptor signaling in various cancers and highlight how Type-A GABA receptors could emerge as a novel therapeutic target in cancer.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/15353702211032549 | DOI Listing |
Anesthetics are crucial in surgical procedures and therapeutic interventions, but they come with side effects and varying levels of effectiveness, calling for novel anesthetic agents that offer more precise and controllable effects. Targeting Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptors, the primary inhibitory receptors in the central nervous system, could enhance their inhibitory action, potentially reducing side effects while improving the potency of anesthetics. In this study, we introduce a proteomic learning of GABA receptor-mediated anesthesia based on 24 GABA receptor subtypes by considering over 4000 proteins in protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks and over 1.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNeuromolecular Med
January 2025
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, 221 005, India.
Hypoxia is a significant stressor, and stabilized hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) regulates the expression of numerous genes, leading to various biochemical, molecular, physiological and genomic changes. The body's oxygen-sensing system activates gene expression to protect brain tissues from hypoxia. Gamma-aminobutyric acid, an inhibitory neurotransmitter, regulates brain excitability during hypoxia through the activation of HIF-1 α.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFStem Cell Res Ther
January 2025
Department of Cell Biology and Histology, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Leioa, Bizkaia, 48940, Spain.
Background And Aim: Human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs) constitute a promising alternative for central nervous system (CNS) cell therapy. Unlike other human stem cells, hDPSCs can be differentiated, without genetic modification, to neural cells that secrete neuroprotective factors. However, a better understanding of their real capacity to give rise to functional neurons and integrate into synaptic networks is still needed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPharmacol Res
January 2025
Center for Brain Research, Department of Molecular Neurosciences, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria. Electronic address:
α6-containing GABA receptors (α6GABARs) are strongly expressed in cerebellar granule cells and are of central importance for cerebellar functions. The cerebellum not only is involved in regulation of motor activity, but also in regulation of thought, cognition, emotion, language, and social behavior. Activation of α6GABARs enhances the precision of sensory inputs, enables rapid and coordinated movement and adequate responses to the environment, and protects the brain from information overflow.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFront Neurosci
January 2025
The Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Organ Protection, The Key Laboratory of Brain Science, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China.
Background: The ventrolateral preoptic nucleus (VLPO) is a crucial regulator of sleep, and its neurons are implicated in both sleep-wake regulation and anesthesia-induced loss of consciousness. Propofol (PRO), a widely used intravenous anesthetic, modulates the activity of VLPO neurons, but the underlying mechanisms, particularly the role of dopaminergic receptors, remain unclear.
Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effects of PRO on NA (-) neurons in the VLPO and to determine the involvement of D1 and D2 dopaminergic receptors in mediating these effects.
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