Role of ion channels in regulating Ca2+ homeostasis during the interplay between immune and cancer cells

• Published in: Cell death & disease Vol. 6; no. 2; p. e1648
• Main Authors: Bose, T, Cieślar-Pobuda, A, Wiechec, E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 19.02.2015; Springer Nature B.V; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 14/1; 38/61; 631/250/2504; 631/45/269; 631/67; 631/80/86/1999; 82/80; Animals; anti-cancer immunity; Antibodies; Biochemistry; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Ca2+-influx; Calcium - metabolism; cancer; Cell Biology; Cell Culture; cytotoxic T cells; Homeostasis; Humans; Immunology; ion channels; Ion Channels - metabolism; Life Sciences; natural killer cells; Neoplasms - metabolism; Review; Signal Transduction - physiology
• ISSN: 2041-4889; 2041-4889
• DOI: 10.1038/cddis.2015.23

Ion channels are abundantly expressed in both excitable and non-excitable cells, thereby regulating the Ca 2+ influx and downstream signaling pathways of physiological processes. The immune system is specialized in the process of cancer cell recognition and elimination, and is regulated by different ion channels. In comparison with the immune cells, ion channels behave differently in cancer cells by making the tumor cells more hyperpolarized and influence cancer cell proliferation and metastasis. Therefore, ion channels comprise an important therapeutic target in anti-cancer treatment. In this review, we discuss the implication of ion channels in regulation of Ca 2+ homeostasis during the crosstalk between immune and cancer cell as well as their role in cancer progression.