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Updated: Jun 19, 2025
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Author Spotlight: Exploring the Role of Ion Channels in Cancer: Characterization and Potential Treatment Approaches
Published on: June 16, 2023
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Voltage-gated sodium channels in cancers
Hengrui Liu1, Jieling Weng2, Christopher L-H Huang3,4
1Department of Biochemistry, Hopkins Building, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QW, UK. hl546@cam.ac.uk.
Biomarker Research
|July 26, 2024
Summary
Voltage-gated sodium channels (VGSCs) are surprisingly found in cancers, offering new diagnostic and therapeutic targets. This review comprehensively examines their role in various cancer types.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Molecular Biology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Voltage-gated sodium channels (VGSCs) are crucial for action potentials in excitable cells.
- Aberrant VGSC gene expression is observed in cancers from non-excitable tissues.
- Existing reviews lack comprehensive scope on VGSCs in cancer.
Purpose of the Study:
- To comprehensively review VGSC α- and β-subunit gene expression in cancer.
- To analyze VGSC gene data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database.
- To compare existing literature with TCGA data for research insights.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of published studies on VGSCs in cancer.
- Analysis of VGSC gene expression data from the TCGA database.
- Comparative analysis of literature evidence and database findings.
Main Results:
- VGSC genes (SCN1A-11A, SCN1B-4B) show aberrant expression across various cancers.
- VGSCs show potential roles in breast, colon, prostate, and lung cancer diagnostics and therapeutics.
- Analysis identified potential biases in prior research and suggested future directions.
Conclusions:
- VGSCs are promising targets for cancer diagnostics and therapeutics.
- Further research is needed to fully elucidate the role of VGSCs in cancer.
- Comprehensive understanding of VGSCs in cancer is crucial for clinical applications.
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