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Updated: Jan 27, 2026

Author Spotlight: Exploring the Role of Ion Channels in Cancer: Characterization and Potential Treatment Approaches
Published on: June 16, 2023
Ion Channels: New Actors Playing in Chemotherapeutic Resistance
Philippe Kischel1, Alban Girault2, Lise Rodat-Despoix3
1Laboratoire de Physiologie Cellulaire et Moléculaire (EA 4667), Université de Picardie Jules Verne, UFR des Sciences, 33 Rue St Leu, 80039 Amiens, France. Philippe.Kischel@u-picardie.fr.
Abstract:
In the battle against cancer cells, therapeutic modalities are drastically limited by intrinsic or acquired drug resistance. Resistance to therapy is not only common, but expected: if systemic agents used for cancer treatment are usually active at the beginning of therapy (i.e., 90% of primary breast cancers and 50% of metastases), about 30% of patients with early-stage breast cancer will have recurrent disease. Altered expression of ion channels is now considered as one of the hallmarks of cancer, and several ion channels have been linked to cancer cell resistance. While ion channels have been associated with cell death, apoptosis and even chemoresistance since the late 80s, the molecular mechanisms linking ion channel expression and/or function with chemotherapy have mostly emerged in the last ten years. In this review, we will highlight the relationships between ion channels and resistance to chemotherapy, with a special emphasis on the underlying molecular mechanisms.
Insights
Drug resistance limits cancer therapies. This review explores how ion channels contribute to cancer cell resistance to chemotherapy and the molecular mechanisms involved.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Molecular Biology
- Biophysics
Background:
- Cancer therapeutic resistance is a major clinical challenge, leading to disease recurrence.
- Altered ion channel expression is a hallmark of cancer and linked to treatment failure.
- Ion channels' roles in chemoresistance have gained significant attention in the last decade.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the relationship between ion channels and chemotherapy resistance in cancer.
- To emphasize the molecular mechanisms underlying this association.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies on ion channels and cancer chemoresistance.
- Analysis of molecular mechanisms linking ion channel function/expression to chemotherapy response.
Main Results:
- Ion channels are implicated in various aspects of cancer cell survival and drug resistance.
- Specific ion channels and their altered functions contribute to chemoresistance.
- Emerging evidence highlights the molecular pathways involved.
Conclusions:
- Ion channels represent a critical factor in cancer drug resistance.
- Understanding these molecular mechanisms may reveal novel therapeutic targets for overcoming chemoresistance.
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