Ion channels as therapeutic targets in high grade gliomas

Griffin, Michaela; Khan, Raheela; Basu, Surajit; Smith, Stuart

Abstract

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a lethal brain cancer with an average survival of 14-15 months with maximal treatment. High grade gliomas (HGG) form a leading cause of CNS cancer-related death in children and adults due to the aggressive nature of the tumour and limited treatment options. The scarcity of treatment available for GBM has opened the field to new modalities such as electrotherapy. Previous studies have identified the clinical benefit of electrotherapy in combination with chemotherapeutics, however the mechanistic action is unclear. Increasing evidence indicates that not only are ion channels key in regulating electrical signaling and membrane potential of excitable cells, they perform a crucial role in the development and neoplastic progression of brain tumours. Unlike other tissue types, neural tissue is intrinsically electrically active and reliant on ion channels and their function. Ion channels are essential in cell cycle control, invasion and migration of cancer cells and therefore present as valuable therapeutic targets. This review aims to discuss the role that ion channels hold in gliomagenesis and whether we can target and exploit these channels to provide new therapeutic targets and whether ion channels hold the mechanistic key to the newfound success of electrotherapies.

Citation

Griffin, M., Khan, R., Basu, S., & Smith, S. (2020). Ion channels as therapeutic targets in high grade gliomas. Cancers, 12(10), Article 3068. https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers12103068

• Journal Article Type: Review
• Acceptance Date: Oct 19, 2020
• Online Publication Date: Oct 21, 2020
• Publication Date: Nov 9, 2020
• Deposit Date: Jan 5, 2021
• Publicly Available Date: Jan 6, 2021
• Journal: Cancers
• Electronic ISSN: 2072-6694
• Publisher: MDPI
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 12
• Issue: 10
• Article Number: 3068
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers12103068
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/4976169
• Publisher URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/12/10/3068