Dear Colleagues,

Virtually all cellular processes rely on ion channels. By modifying the chemistry, electricity and mechanics of every cell, ion channels seem to have a plethora of tools to regulate the activities of downstream effectors molecules and to interfere with biochemical signaling. In addition, recent observations suggest that ion channels may signal via direct molecular interaction in macromolecular complexes, or even as transcription factor.

A hallmark of tumor cells is an—as compared to the non-transformed parental cells—aberrant expression and activity pattern of ion channels. Notably, the oncogenesis-associated changes in ion channel expression and activity are not just an epiphenomenon of neoplastic transformation. This conclusion can be drawn from the fact that experimental interference with ion channels may impair clonogenic survival, cell cycling, invasive behavior, resistance to hypoxia, or metabolic adaptations of tumor cells. Instead, accumulating pieces of evidence suggest that aberrant ion channel activity directly contributes to programming and execution of oncogenic processes.

Moreover, ion channels have been demonstrated to become activated during the stress response of tumor cells and to confer therapy resistance. In combination with their tumor-associated expression, ion channels, therefore, seem to be ideal targets to sensitize tumor cells to anti-tumor therapy. As a matter of fact, many approved drugs modify on purpose or as side effect ion channels suggesting that the clinical translation of pharmacological ion channel targeting is feasible.

This Special Issue will highlight the function of ion channels in tumor biology. A better knowledge about the role of ion channels in, e.g., the maintenance of a stem cell-like phenotype, in adaptation to the microenvironment including hypoxia, in tissue infiltration and metastasis, in the crosstalk with endothelial, stroma or bone marrow-derived cells, in resistance to radio- or chemotherapy, or in evasion from immune surveillance is a prerequisite to develop intelligent new concepts of anti-tumor therapy that combine ion channel targeting with established therapy modalities.

Prof. Dr. Stephan M. Huber
Guest Editor

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• Oncochannels
• Electro- and Ca²⁺ signaling
• Cancer stem cells
• Radiochemotherapy
• Immunotherapy
• Ion channel targeting