Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 14, 2026

Co-culture of Glutamatergic Neurons and Pediatric High-Grade Glioma Cells Into Microfluidic Devices to Assess Electrical Interactions
07:39

Co-culture of Glutamatergic Neurons and Pediatric High-Grade Glioma Cells Into Microfluidic Devices to Assess Electrical Interactions

Published on: November 17, 2021

The glutamatergic system outside the CNS and in cancer biology

Niki Kalariti1, Nikos Pissimissis, Michael Koutsilieris

  • 1Department of Experimental Physiology, Medical School, University of Athens, 75 Micras Asias, Goudi-Athens, Greece.

Expert Opinion on Investigational Drugs
|November 26, 2005
PubMed

Insights

The glutamatergic system, crucial for brain signaling, is increasingly recognized for its role beyond neurons. Emerging evidence suggests its involvement in non-neuronal tissues and cancer biology.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Molecular Biology
  • Oncology

Background:

  • Glutamate is the primary excitatory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system (CNS).
  • The glutamatergic system comprises receptors for signal input, plasma transporters for signal termination, and vesicular transporters for exocytic release.
  • Recent findings indicate the glutamatergic system's function in non-neuronal tissues.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the evidence linking the glutamatergic system to cancer biology.
  • To highlight the potential role of glutamate signaling in tumor development and progression.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of studies investigating glutamatergic system components in cancer.
  • Analysis of research on glutamate receptor and transporter expression in various tumor types.
  • Synthesis of data on the functional implications of glutamatergic signaling in oncogenesis.

Main Results:

  • Expression of glutamate receptors and transporters is altered in numerous cancers.
  • The glutamatergic system appears to influence key cancer processes like proliferation, survival, and migration.
  • Evidence suggests a significant role for this system in non-neuronal tissues, including tumors.

Conclusions:

  • The glutamatergic system is implicated in cancer biology.
  • Further research into targeting the glutamatergic system could offer novel cancer therapies.

More Related Videos

Establishing In Vitro Models of Dorsal Root Ganglia Culture: Complementary Approaches for Investigating Cancer-Nerve Crosstalk11:26

Establishing In Vitro Models of Dorsal Root Ganglia Culture: Complementary Approaches for Investigating Cancer-Nerve Crosstalk

Published on: July 11, 2025

In Vitro Modeling of Cancerous Neural Invasion: The Dorsal Root Ganglion Model08:23

In Vitro Modeling of Cancerous Neural Invasion: The Dorsal Root Ganglion Model

Published on: April 12, 2016

Related Concept Videos

The Tumor Microenvironment02:17

The Tumor Microenvironment

Every normal cell or tissue is embedded in a complex local environment called stroma, consisting of different cell types, a basal membrane, and blood vessels. As normal cells mutate and develop into cancer cells, their local environment also changes to allow cancer progression. The tumor microenvironment (TME) consists of a complex cellular matrix of stromal cells and the developing tumor. The cross-talk between cancer cells and surrounding stromal cells is critical to disrupt normal tissue...
Adaptive Mechanisms in Cancer Cells02:53

Adaptive Mechanisms in Cancer Cells

Cancer cells accumulate genetic changes at an abnormally rapid rate due to the defects in the DNA repair mechanisms. From an evolutionary perspective, such genetic instability is advantageous for cancer development. Mutant cell lines accumulate a series of beneficial mutations that contribute to their progression into cancer.
Some of the advantages that cancer cells have on normal cells include - enhanced ability to divide without terminally differentiating, induce new blood vessel formation,...
Adaptive Mechanisms in Cancer Cells02:53

Adaptive Mechanisms in Cancer Cells

Cancer cells accumulate genetic changes at an abnormally rapid rate due to the defects in the DNA repair mechanisms. From an evolutionary perspective, such genetic instability is advantageous for cancer development. Mutant cell lines accumulate a series of beneficial mutations that contribute to their progression into cancer.
Some of the advantages that cancer cells have on normal cells include - enhanced ability to divide without terminally differentiating, induce new blood vessel formation,...
mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression03:03

mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression

The mammalian target of rapamycin or mTOR protein was discovered in 1994 due to its direct interaction with rapamycin. The protein gets its name from a yeast homolog called TOR. The mTOR protein complex in mammalian cells plays a major role in balancing anabolic processes such as the synthesis of proteins, lipids, and nucleotides and catabolic processes, such as autophagy in response to environmental cues, such as availability of nutrients and growth factors.
The mTOR pathway or the...
Abnormal Proliferation02:23

Abnormal Proliferation

Under normal conditions, most adult cells remain in a non-proliferative state unless stimulated by internal or external factors to replace lost cells. Abnormal cell proliferation is a condition in which the cell's growth exceeds and is uncoordinated with normal cells. In such situations, cell division persists in the same excessive manner even after cessation of the stimuli, leading to persistent tumors. The tumor arises from the damaged cells that replicate to pass the damage to the daughter...
Ligand-Gated Ion Channel Receptor: Gating Mechanism01:30

Ligand-Gated Ion Channel Receptor: Gating Mechanism

Ligand-gated ion channels are transmembrane proteins that play a vital role in intercellular communication and functions of the nervous system. They allow the influx of ions across the membrane once the neurotransmitter binds, allowing the subsequent transmission of electrical excitation across the neurons. Other ligand-gated ion channels, like the γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor, permit anions like chloride into the cells on the binding of the GABA molecule. Their entry into the cell...