Int J Biol Sci 2021; 17(8):2034-2049. doi:10.7150/ijbs.59918 This issue Cite
Review
1. Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Regional Immunity and Diseases, Shenzhen University International Cancer Center, Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, School of Medicine, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518055, China.
2. School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, NT, Hong Kong.
3. National Center for International Research of Biological Targeting Diagnosis and Therapy (Guangxi Key Laboratory of Biological Targeting Diagnosis and Therapy Research), Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China.
The transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily V member 1 (TRPV1) is a transmembrane protein that can be activated by various physical and chemical stimuli and is associated with pain transduction. In recent years, TRPV1 was discovered to play essential roles in cancer tumorigenesis and development, as TRPV1 expression levels are altered in numerous cancer cell types. Several investigations have discovered direct associations between TRPV1 and cancer cell proliferation, cell death, and metastasis. Furthermore, about two dozen TRPV1 agonists/antagonists are under clinical trial, as TRPV1 is a potential drug target for treating various diseases. Hence, more researchers are focusing on the effects of TRPV1 agonists or antagonists on cancer tumorigenesis and development. However, both agonists and antagonists may reveal anti-cancer effects, and the effect may function via or be independent of TRPV1. In this review, we provide an overview of the impact of TRPV1 on cancer cell proliferation, cell death, and metastasis, as well as on cancer therapy and the tumor microenvironment, and consider the implications of using TRPV1 agonists and antagonists for future research and potential therapeutic approaches.
Keywords: TRPV1, proliferation, cell death, metastasis, therapy, microenvironment.