Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 30, 2025

Author Spotlight: Exploring the Role of Ion Channels in Cancer: Characterization and Potential Treatment Approaches
06:19

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

Published on: June 16, 2023

3.5K

Dopamine Receptors in Cancer: Are They Valid Therapeutic Targets?

Arely Rosas-Cruz1,2, Nohemí Salinas-Jazmín1, Marco A Velasco- Velázquez1,3

  • 1Departamento de Farmacología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), México.

Technology in Cancer Research & Treatment
|July 2, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Dopamine receptors (DRs) show altered expression in many tumors. Targeting DRs may offer new cancer treatments, but more research is needed to confirm their effectiveness and guide therapeutic strategies.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Pharmacology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Dopamine receptors (DRs) are implicated in various cellular functions.
  • Aberrant DRs expression is linked to tumor development and patient prognosis.
  • Existing DRs-targeting drugs for neurological disorders are being explored for cancer therapy.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the role of dopamine receptors in cancer.
  • To evaluate the therapeutic potential of targeting DRs in neoplastic diseases.
  • To analyze the impact of DRs modulation on tumor progression and cancer cell biology.

Main Methods:

  • Comprehensive literature review of studies on dopamine receptors in cancer.
  • Analysis of preclinical and clinical data regarding DRs expression and targeting.
  • Examination of high-prevalence neoplasms as examples to illustrate DRs' role.

Main Results:

  • Dopamine receptors are confirmed as viable therapeutic targets in specific cancer types.
  • Evidence for DRs' role in tumor progression is contradictory or inconclusive for other receptor/disease combinations.
  • The precise function of DRs in tumorigenesis varies depending on the specific receptor and cancer.

Conclusions:

  • Dopamine receptors represent promising targets for novel cancer therapies.
  • Further investigation is crucial to elucidate the complex role of DRs in tumor progression.
  • Optimized therapeutic strategies targeting DRs require additional research for improved cancer management.
Keywords:
DRD1DRD2NSCLCbreast cancerdopaminedopamine receptorglioblastomathioridazine

More Related Videos

Human Neural Organoids for Studying Brain Cancer and Neurodegenerative Diseases09:36

Human Neural Organoids for Studying Brain Cancer and Neurodegenerative Diseases

Published on: June 28, 2019

10.2K
Identification of Dopamine D1-Alpha Receptor Within Rodent Nucleus Accumbens by an Innovative RNA In Situ Detection Technology07:25

Identification of Dopamine D1-Alpha Receptor Within Rodent Nucleus Accumbens by an Innovative RNA In Situ Detection Technology

Published on: March 27, 2018

8.7K

Related Concept Videos

Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting: Dopamine Receptor Antagonists01:29

Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting: Dopamine Receptor Antagonists

Dopamine receptor antagonists, also known as antipsychotic agents, are critical in managing chemotherapy-induced vomiting. These antiemetic agents block dopamine receptors in the chemoreceptor trigger zone (CTZ), inhibiting signal transmission to the vomiting center. Antipsychotic agents encompass phenothiazines (PTZ), butyrophenones, benzamides, and thienobenzodiazepines (Zyprexa), which are utilized for their antiemetic and sedative properties.
Phenothiazines, such as prochlorperazine...
571
Targeted Cancer Therapies02:57

Targeted Cancer Therapies

The targeted cancer therapies, also known as “molecular targeted therapies,” take advantage of the molecular and genetic differences between the cancer cells and the normal cells. It needs a thorough understanding of the cancer cells to develop drugs that can target specific molecular aspects that drive the growth, progression, and spread of cancer cells without affecting the growth and survival of other normal cells in the body.
There are several types of targeted therapies against...
8.0K
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:
3.3K
Drugs Affecting Neurotransmitter Synthesis01:29

Drugs Affecting Neurotransmitter Synthesis

Drugs affecting neurotransmitter synthesis can impact the adrenergic neuron and the synthesis of neurotransmitters. For example, α-methyltyrosine and carbidopa target specific enzymes involved in catecholamine synthesis. α-methyltyrosine inhibits the enzyme tyrosine hydroxylase, which converts tyrosine into dopamine. By blocking this enzyme, α-methyltyrosine reduces dopamine production and other catecholamines. Carbidopa, on the other hand, inhibits the enzyme dopa decarboxylase,...
1.8K
Inhibition of Cdk Activity02:34

Inhibition of Cdk Activity

The orderly progression of the cell cycle depends on the activation of Cdk protein by binding to its cyclin partner. However, the cell cycle must be restricted when undergoing abnormal changes. Most cancers correlate to the deregulated cell cycle, and since Cdks are a central component of the cell cycle, Cdk inhibitors are extensively studied to develop anticancer agents. For instance, cyclin D associates with several Cdks, such as Cdk 4/6, to form an active complex. The cyclin D-Cdk4/6 complex...
5.1K
Combination Therapies and Personalized Medicine02:50

Combination Therapies and Personalized Medicine

Combining two or more treatment methods increases the life span of cancer patients while reducing damage to vital organs or tissue from the overuse of a single treatment. Combination therapy also targets different cancer-inducing pathways, thus reducing the chances of developing resistance to treatment.
The combination of the drug acetazolamide and sulforaphane is a good example of combination therapy to treat cancer. The cells in the interior of a large tumor often die due to the hypoxic and...
5.3K