Calcium Signalling in Breast Cancer Associated Bone Pain

International Journal of Molecular Sciences

Andrea Bortolin¹  Meriem Lamghari¹  Estrela Neto¹ 

[1] i3S—Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 280, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal;

关键词: calcium;    signalling;    nociception;    pain;    cancer;    bone;   

DOI  :  10.3390/ijms23031902

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Calcium (Ca²⁺) is involved as a signalling mediator in a broad variety of physiological processes. Some of the fastest responses in human body like neuronal action potential firing, to the slowest gene transcriptional regulation processes are controlled by pathways involving calcium signalling. Under pathological conditions these mechanisms are also involved in tumoral cells reprogramming, resulting in the altered expression of genes associated with cell proliferation, metastatisation and homing to the secondary metastatic site. On the other hand, calcium exerts a central function in nociception, from cues sensing in distal neurons, to signal modulation and interpretation in the central nervous system leading, in pathological conditions, to hyperalgesia, allodynia and pain chronicization. It is well known the relationship between cancer and pain when tumoral metastatic cells settle in the bones, especially in late breast cancer stage, where they alter the bone micro-environment leading to bone lesions and resulting in pain refractory to the conventional analgesic therapies. The purpose of this review is to address the Ca²⁺ signalling mechanisms involved in cancer cell metastatisation as well as the function of the same signalling tools in pain regulation and transmission. Finally, the possible interactions between these two cells types cohabiting the same Ca²⁺ rich environment will be further explored attempting to highlight new possible therapeutical targets.

【 授权许可】

Unknown