Journal
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR MEDICINE
Volume 39, Issue 3, Pages 498-506Publisher
SPANDIDOS PUBL LTD
DOI: 10.3892/ijmm.2017.2859
Keywords
cancer; gap junctions; connexins; mimetic peptides; inflammation
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Funding
- BBSRC Doctoral Training Award at the University of Cambridge
- Croucher Foundation
- ESRC
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Gap junctions are intercellular channels made of connexin proteins, mediating both electrical and biochemical signals between cells. The ability of gap junction proteins to regulate immune responses, cell proliferation, migration, apoptosis and carcinogenesis makes them attractive therapeutic targets for treating inflammatory and neoplastic disorders in different organ systems. Alterations in gap junction profile and expression levels are observed in hyperproliferative skin disorders, lymphatic vessel diseases, inflammatory lung diseases, liver injury and neoplastic disorders. It is now recognized that the therapeutic effects mediated by traditional pharmacological agents are dependent upon gap junction communication and may even act by influencing gap junction expression or function. Novel strategies for modulating the function or expression of connexins, such as the use of synthetic mimetic peptides and siRNA technology are considered.
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