Molecular pathways: Dysregulated glutamatergic signaling pathways in cancer

TD Prickett, Yardena Samuels

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

Abstract

The neurotransmitter glutamate interacts with glutamate receptor proteins, leading to the activation of multiple signaling pathways. Dysfunction in the glutamatergic signaling pathway is well established as a frequent player in diseases such as schizophrenia, Alzheimer disease, and brain tumors (gliomas). Recently, aberrant functioning of this pathway has also been shown in melanoma. In both glioma and melanoma, glutamate secretion stimulates tumor growth, proliferation, and survival through activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase and phosphoinositide 3-kinase/Akt pathways. In the future, extracellular glutamate levels and glutamatergic signaling may serve as biological markers for tumorigenicity and facilitate targeted therapy for melanoma.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)4240-4246
Number of pages7
JournalClinical Cancer Research
Volume18
Issue number16
DOIs
StatePublished - 15 Aug 2012

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Oncology
  • Cancer Research

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