TRPV6 calcium channel regulation, downstream pathways, AND therapeutic targeting in cancer

Abstract Significant advances have been made during last two decades as to the discovery of TRPV6 channel expression in various tissues and particularly in cancer. Among them are the cancers of the epithelial origin such as of prostate, breast, pancreas, ovaries, endometrium, testicule, colon, and lung. Though its role in cancer cell survival, proliferation, and apoptosis resistance was already established both in vitro and in vivo , much less was done in the studying of the downstream pathways where TRPV6 channel is involved which are restricted so far to the Ca 2+ - calmodulin – calcineurin – NFaT pathways. Finally, in addition to the establishment of its role in human pathophysiology, the first pharmacological approaches were undertaken to target this channel and are described here in detail.