Zinc dysregulation in cancers and its potential as a therapeutic target

• 作者: Huanhuan Zhao Jie Wang Xinxin Cheng Zhelong Xu
• 来源期刊: 癌症生物学与医学（英文版）
• 年，卷（期）: 2020,（3）
• 页码范围: 612-625
• 页数: 14页
• 语种: 英文
• DOI: 10.20892/j.issn.2095-3941.2020.0106

摘要

Zinc is an essential element and serves as a structural or catalytic component in many proteins. Two families of transporters are involved in maintaining cellular zinc homeostasis: the ZIP (SLC39A) family that facilitates zinc influx into the cytoplasm, and the ZnT (SLC30A) family that facilitates zinc efflux from the cytoplasm. Zinc dyshomeostasis caused by the dysfunction of zinc transporters can contribute to the initiation or progression of various cancers, including prostate cancer, breast cancer, and pancreatic cancer. In addition, intracellular zinc fluctuations lead to the disturbance of certain signaling pathways involved in the malignant properties of cancer cells. This review briefly summarizes our current understanding of zinc dyshomeostasis in cancer, and discusses the potential roles of zinc or zinc transporters in cancer therapy.