The Role of PGRMC1 and PGRMC2 in Metabolism and Cancer Biology

Dear Colleagues,

Progesterone receptor membrane component 1 (PGRMC1) is a small protein with a perplexing the diversity of potential functions. It belongs to the membrane-associated progesterone receptor (MAPR) family, which—in mammals—consists of PGRMC1, PGRMC2, neuferricin, and neudesin.

PGRMC1 affects biological functions such as cholesterol/steroid biosynthesis and metabolism, iron homeostasis and heme trafficking, autophagy, regulation of cell cycle and proliferation, and cell migration and invasion. Less is known about the functions of PGRMC2, but due to its >50% identity similarity to PGRMC1, both may share overlapping functions and roles.

PGRMC1 has been confirmed to play a role in carcinogenesis and may therefore represent a target for cancer therapy. The PGRMC1 protein and mRNA are upregulated in malignancies including colon, lung, ovary, cervix, and breast. Expression of PGRMC1 correlates with metastasis to lymph nodes, larger tumor size, and poor overall and tumor-free survival. One important feature is its interaction with cytochrome P450 enzymes (CYPs), which catalyze the metabolism of both endogenous and exogenous substances. This enormous spectrum of metabolic pathways may explain PGRMC1’s many postulated roles and may position it as an integrator of external influences, such as life-style factors and cancer development. One such metabolic pathway is represented by the cholesterol pathway. There are increasing data published that its metabolites affect tumor development, therapy resistance, and metastasis.

With this Special Issue, we would like to highlight the roles of PGRMC1 and PGRMC2 in cancer development or therapy resistance, with a special focus on potential functions of both in metabolic pathways affecting cancer biology. We encourage submission of manuscripts covering both basic and more (pre)clinical aspects that advance our understanding of targeting PGRMC1 and PGRMC2 in human tumors.

Dr. Michael A. Cahill
Prof. Dr. Hans Neubauer
Guest Editors

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