TRP Channels in Cancer Pathophysiology and Therapy

Dear Colleagues,

The progression of cancer is known to be associated with changes that upset the balance of the cell cycle, affecting the suppression of cell death pathways, the increase of cell proliferation, the dysregulation of cell differentiation, and the reduction of interactions between cells and the stromatic tissue. Many of these changes are usually associated with alterations in intracellular Ca²⁺ concentrations that promote signaling cascades and modify apoptotic, cytoplasmic, mitochondrial, and endoplasmic reticulum mechanisms. In this respect, membrane ion channels are a main source of Ca²⁺ for the cell, are highly sensitive to variations in the chemical-physical state of the microenvironment, and are activated by a huge number of exogenous and endogenous molecules. Among the membrane channels, an important role is played by Transient Receptor Potential (TRP) channels. TRP channels are a group of unique ion channels that serve as cellular sensors for a broad spectrum of physical and chemical stimuli. They respond in a very subtle way to the classic elements of cell signaling such as PIP2, Ca²⁺, cyclic nucleotides, phosphorylation potential, osmotic temperature and pressure, as well as to environmental inputs that can be beneficial or harmful and, above all, are significantly reactive to the red-ox state of a cell. In primary sensory neurons, the activation of TRP channels determines the development of an action potential, and therefore a signal, that reaches the central nervous system, whereas in non-neuronal cells, it can promote oxidative stress, alter enzymatic activities, modify the membrane potential, and modulate endocytosis and exocytosis. In this way, TRP channels are known to play crucial roles in many fundamental processes of life such as fertilization, sensory transduction, cell survival, and development.

It is a great pleasure to invite you and your teams, as experts from different backgrounds (medicine, immunology, clinics, genetics, molecular biology, and epidemiology), as well as those who work in the field of cancer and TRP channels to contribute original or review research articles to this Special Issue. We are particularly interested in articles that try to evaluate a possible link between TRP channels and cancer from a pathological point of view and in the induction of pain.

Dr. Francesco De Logu
Prof. Massi Daniela
Dr. Romina Nassini
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Biomolecules is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• TRP
• cancer
• oxidative stress
• pain