Related Experiment Video

Updated: Nov 20, 2025

Author Spotlight: Exploring Salidroside's Molecular Mechanisms in Breast Cancer Treatment
11:13

Author Spotlight: Exploring Salidroside's Molecular Mechanisms in Breast Cancer Treatment

Published on: June 9, 2023

1.9K

P2X7 receptor: a critical regulator and potential target for breast cancer

Xiaodi Zhu1, Qianqian Li1, Wei Song1

  • 1School of Medical Laboratory, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, Shandong, China.

Journal of Molecular Medicine (Berlin, Germany)
|January 24, 2021
PubMed

Insights

The P2X7 receptor (purinergic ligand-gated ion channel 7 receptor) promotes breast cancer metastasis. Inhibitors of this receptor show promise for treating advanced breast cancer, offering new clinical possibilities.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • Breast cancer is a leading cause of cancer death globally, with advanced stages often metastasizing.
  • Metastatic breast cancer lacks curative treatments.
  • The P2X7 receptor (purinergic ligand-gated ion channel 7 receptor) is implicated in cellular processes relevant to cancer development.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review current research on the P2X7 receptor's role in breast cancer.
  • To explore the mechanisms by which P2X7 receptor influences breast cancer progression.
  • To highlight potential therapeutic strategies targeting the P2X7 receptor.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of studies investigating the P2X7 receptor in breast cancer.
  • Analysis of molecular pathways and cellular processes affected by P2X7 receptor.
  • Examination of preclinical data on P2X7 receptor inhibitors.

Main Results:

  • P2X7 receptor upregulation in breast cancer promotes invasion and migration via AKT signaling, SK3 channels, EMT, and extracellular vesicle secretion.
  • Hypoxia and ATP levels influence P2X7 receptor activity.
  • MicroRNAs modulate P2X7 receptor expression, impacting breast cancer.
  • Natural compounds like emodin and Uncaria tomentosa inhibit P2X7 receptor-mediated invasion.

Conclusions:

  • The P2X7 receptor is a key mediator of breast cancer metastasis.
  • Targeting the P2X7 receptor with inhibitors presents a promising therapeutic avenue for advanced breast cancer.
  • Further research is needed to translate these findings into clinical applications for breast cancer treatment.
Keywords:
ATPBreast cancerP2X7 receptorP2X7 receptor antagonist

More Related Videos

Real-time Live-cell Flow Cytometry to Investigate Calcium Influx, Pore Formation, and Phagocytosis by P2X7 Receptors in Adult Neural Progenitor Cells11:47

Real-time Live-cell Flow Cytometry to Investigate Calcium Influx, Pore Formation, and Phagocytosis by P2X7 Receptors in Adult Neural Progenitor Cells

Published on: April 3, 2019

9.5K
Systems Biology of Metabolic Regulation by Estrogen Receptor Signaling in Breast Cancer10:36

Systems Biology of Metabolic Regulation by Estrogen Receptor Signaling in Breast Cancer

Published on: March 17, 2016

10.8K

Related Concept Videos

Mitogens and the Cell Cycle02:38

Mitogens and the Cell Cycle

Mitogens and their receptors play a crucial role in controlling the progression of the cell cycle. However, the loss of mitogenic control over cell division leads to tumor formation. Therefore, mitogens and mitogen receptors play an important role in cancer research. For instance, the epidermal growth factor (EGF) - a type of mitogen and its transmembrane receptor (EGFR), decides the fate of the cell's proliferation. When EGF binds to EGFR, a member of the ErbB family of tyrosine kinase...
7.4K
Receptor Downregulation in MVBs01:15

Receptor Downregulation in MVBs

Multivesicular bodies (MVBs) are mature endosomes that sort ubiquitinated proteins and then fuse with lysosomes to degrade the sorted proteins. Epidermal growth factor (EGF) and its receptor (EGFR) form a complex that can be internalized through endocytosis, sorted into an MVB, and later degraded.
The EGFR can initiate signaling pathways that  lead to cell proliferation, migration, and differentiation. Overexpression of EGFR  stimulates cells to proliferate. Excessive  EGFR...
2.5K
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...
4.1K
Transducer Mechanism: Enzyme-Linked Receptors01:27

Transducer Mechanism: Enzyme-Linked Receptors

Enzyme-linked receptors are cell-surface receptors acting as an enzyme or associating with an enzyme intracellularly. They make excellent drug targets. Drugs can bind to the extracellular ligand-binding domain or directly affect their enzymatic domain and alter their activity.
Major types that are helpful drug targets include:
3.5K
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...
4.9K
Interactions Between Signaling Pathways01:19

Interactions Between Signaling Pathways

Signaling cascades usually lack linearity. Multiple pathways interact and regulate one another, allowing cells to integrate and respond to diverse environmental stimuli.
Convergence and divergence, and cross-talk between signaling pathways
Two distinct signaling pathways can converge on a single functional unit, which may either be a single protein or a complex of proteins. The response is either functionally distinct or synergistic between the two pathways but different from the response...
6.9K