Programa de Comunicación Celular en Cáncer, Facultad de Medicina Clínica Alemana, Universidad del Desarrollo, República de Honduras 12740, Las Condes, Santiago 7610496, Chile.
Biomolecules. 2023 Sep 27;13(10):1460. doi: 10.3390/biom13101460.
Cancer is a widespread and incurable disease caused by genetic mutations, leading to uncontrolled cell proliferation and metastasis. Connexins (Cx) are transmembrane proteins that facilitate intercellular communication via hemichannels and gap junction channels. Among them, Cx46 is found mostly in the eye lens. However, in pathological conditions, Cx46 has been observed in various types of cancers, such as glioblastoma, melanoma, and breast cancer. It has been demonstrated that elevated Cx46 levels in breast cancer contribute to cellular resistance to hypoxia, and it is an enhancer of cancer aggressiveness supporting a pro-tumoral role. Accordingly, Cx46 is associated with an increase in cancer stem cell phenotype. These cells display radio- and chemoresistance, high proliferative abilities, self-renewal, and differentiation capacities. This review aims to consolidate the knowledge of the relationship between Cx46, its role in forming hemichannels and gap junctions, and its connection with cancer and cancer stem cells.
癌症是一种由基因突变引起的广泛且无法治愈的疾病，导致细胞不受控制地增殖和转移。连接蛋白（Cx）是一种跨膜蛋白，通过半通道和间隙连接通道促进细胞间通讯。其中，Cx46 主要存在于眼睛的晶状体中。然而，在病理条件下，Cx46 已在各种类型的癌症中被观察到，如脑胶质瘤、黑色素瘤和乳腺癌。已经证明，乳腺癌中 Cx46 水平的升高导致细胞对缺氧的抵抗力增强，并且是增强癌症侵袭性的促进肿瘤的作用。因此，Cx46 与癌症干细胞表型的增加有关。这些细胞表现出放射和化疗耐药性、高增殖能力、自我更新和分化能力。本综述旨在整合 Cx46 之间的关系、其在形成半通道和间隙连接中的作用以及与癌症和癌症干细胞的关系的知识。
