Glutamate and Its Receptors in Cancer

Overview

Journal J Neural Transm (Vienna)

Specialties Neurology
Physiology

Date 2014 Mar 11

PMID 24610491

Citations 78

Authors

Andrzej Stepulak

Radoslaw Rola

Krzysztof Polberg

Chrysanthy Ikonomidou

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Glutamate, a nonessential amino acid, is a major bioenergetic substrate for proliferating normal and neoplastic cells on one hand and an excitatory neurotransmitter that is actively involved in biosynthetic, bioenergetic, metabolic, and oncogenic signaling pathways on the other. It exerts its action through a family of receptors consisting of metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) and ionotropic glutamate receptors (iGluRs), both of which have been implicated previously in a broad spectrum of acute and chronic neurodegenerative diseases. In this review, we discuss existing data on the role of glutamate as a growth factor for neoplastic cells, the expression of glutamate receptors in various types of benign and malignant neoplasms, and the potential roles that GluRs play in cancer development and progression along with their clinical significance. We conclude that glutamate-related receptors and their signaling pathways may provide novel therapeutic opportunities for a variety of malignant human diseases.

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