Ion channels and cancer

Abstract

Ion channels are in the basic structural elements of living cells. In recent years it has emerged that ion channels have vital importance in tumor development and cancer progression. A series of genetic alterations that can affect the expression of ion channels or cause a change in ion channel activity occurs during transformation of a normal cell to the cancer. Ion channels are associated with cancer cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration, angiogenesis and metastasis. Ion channels still constitute a new field of research in oncology. Ultimately, a detailed understanding of the role of ion channels in key processes related to cancer will facilitate the development of molecular-targeted tools for diagnosis and treatment.