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Author Spotlight: Exploring the Role of Ion Channels in Cancer: Characterization and Potential Treatment Approaches
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Author Spotlight: Exploring the Role of Ion Channels in Cancer: Characterization and Potential Treatment Approaches

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Metabotropic glutamate receptors in cancer

Lumeng J Yu1, Brian A Wall2, Janet Wangari-Talbot1

  • 1Susan Lehman Cullman Laboratory for Cancer Research, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers University, NJ, USA.

Neuropharmacology
|February 21, 2016
PubMed

Insights

Metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) play roles in cancer. Glutamate signaling and mGluRs are potential targets for novel cancer therapies, with riluzole showing promise in melanoma and brain metastases.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) are primarily known for synaptic signaling.
  • Emerging evidence links mGluRs and glutamate signaling to human malignancies, including glioma, melanoma, breast, and prostate cancers.
  • Genes encoding mGluRs (GRMs) may function as oncogenes due to aberrant glutamate signaling in cancer.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the role of mGluRs and glutamate in tumor growth.
  • To discuss the therapeutic potential of targeting mGluRs in cancer.
  • To highlight the repurposing of riluzole for melanoma and brain metastases treatment.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of studies on mGluRs, glutamate signaling, and cancer.
  • Analysis of the role of mGluRs in tumor progression.
  • Examination of riluzole's mechanism and application in cancer therapy.

Main Results:

  • Aberrant glutamate signaling contributes to the transformation and maintenance of various cancers.
  • mGluRs and glutamate signaling are implicated in promoting tumor growth in both neuronal and non-neuronal cancers.
  • Riluzole, a glutamate release inhibitor, is effective as an mGluR1 inhibitor for melanoma and as a radio-sensitizer for brain metastases.

Conclusions:

  • mGluRs represent promising novel targets for human cancer therapy.
  • Targeting glutamate signaling pathways offers potential for treating diverse cancers.
  • Further drug development targeting mGluRs could yield significant therapeutic benefits across multiple cancer applications.
Keywords:
Cell transformationG-protein-coupled receptorsGlutamateTherapeutic target

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