Cancer

Ion channels such as sodium, potassium, chloride, and calcium channels, and ion transport pumps are among the many proteins affected by aberrant gene expression in cancerous cells. Aberrant cell migration, cell adhesion, and cell cycle control all contribute to the invasive phenotype associated with metastasis, and ion channels and pumps have been reported to play a key role in these mechanisms of cancer generation (figure adapted from Litan and Langhans, Front. Cell. Neurosci., 2015).

Ion channels have been identified as potential therapeutic targets for cancer treatment because of their role in regulating cell growth and proliferation. By targeting specific ion channels that are overactive or overexpressed in cancer cells, it may be possible to inhibit the growth and spread of the tumor. For example, TRPV1, TRPV2, and TRPV6 channels have been studied as potential therapeutic targets in prostate cancer and potassium channel inhibitors have been shown to inhibit the growth of lung cancer cells. However, it is important to distinguish between bystander effects and causative links between ion channel activity and tumor growth. For example, the hERG1b isoform of the cardiac channel has been linked to the growth of certain cancers, and over-expression of Nav1.5 and Nav1.7 channels correlates to proliferative activity in breast and prostate cancer, inhibitors of voltage-gated calcium channels have been shown to inhibit the growth of breast and prostate cancer cells.

Recommended reading: Jiang L-H, Adinolfi E and Roger S (2021) Editorial: Ion Channel Signalling in Cancer: From Molecular Mechanisms to Therapeutics. Front. Pharmacol.

Recently, the human immune response emerged as a very powerful tool for fighting cancer. The field of immuno-oncology is focused on understanding how cancer cells escape cell cycle regulation and immune system surveillance to proliferate and metastasize, and the use of immunological ligands (e.g. antibodies, cytokines), signaling pathways (e.g. checkpoint inhibition) and immune cells to attack and kill cancer cells (CAR T). Cell-based proliferation and cytotoxicity assays are a fundamental part of immune-oncology screening cascades. The use of human cancer cell assays offers better translation to the clinic, and can also study the development of oncology drug resistance, increasing the successful development of safer and more effective anti-cancer treatments. Impedance-based technology is emerging as a new, powerful tool to monitor cytotoxicity, the efficiency of various immune-oncology treatments, such as CAR T, and their effects on cancer cell proliferation.