RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Zinc dysregulation in cancers and its potential as a therapeutic target
JF Cancer Biology and Medicine
JO Cancer Biol Med
FD China Anti-Cancer Association
SP 612
OP 625
DO 10.20892/j.issn.2095-3941.2020.0106
VO 17
IS 3
A1 Wang, Jie
A1 Zhao, Huanhuan
A1 Xu, Zhelong
A1 Cheng, Xinxin
YR 2020
UL http://www.cancerbiomed.org/content/17/3/612.abstract
AB Zinc is an essential element and serves as a structural or catalytic component in many proteins. Two families of transporters are involved in maintaining cellular zinc homeostasis: the ZIP (SLC39A) family that facilitates zinc influx into the cytoplasm, and the ZnT (SLC30A) family that facilitates zinc efflux from the cytoplasm. Zinc dyshomeostasis caused by the dysfunction of zinc transporters can contribute to the initiation or progression of various cancers, including prostate cancer, breast cancer, and pancreatic cancer. In addition, intracellular zinc fluctuations lead to the disturbance of certain signaling pathways involved in the malignant properties of cancer cells. This review briefly summarizes our current understanding of zinc dyshomeostasis in cancer, and discusses the potential roles of zinc or zinc transporters in cancer therapy.