title: Cardiac to cancer: connecting connexins to clinical opportunity.
abstract: Gap junctions and their connexin components are indispensable in mediating the cellular coordination required for tissue and organ homeostasis. The critical nature of their existence mandates a connection to disease while at the same time offering therapeutic potential. Therapeutic intervention may be offered through the pharmacological and molecular disruption of the pathways involved in connexin biosynthesis, gap junction assembly, stabilization, or degradation. Chemical inhibitors aimed at closing connexin channels, peptide mimetics corresponding to short connexin sequences, and gene therapy approaches have been incredibly useful molecular tools in deciphering the complexities associated with connexin biology. Recently, therapeutic potential in targeting connexins has evolved from basic research in cell-based models to clinical opportunity in the form of human trials. Clinical promise is particularly evident with regards to targeting connexin43 in the context of wound healing. The following review is aimed at highlighting novel advances where the pharmacological manipulation of connexin biology has proven beneficial in animals or humans.
authors.affiliation: FirstString Research, Inc., 300 W. Coleman Blvd., Suite 203, Mount Pleasant, SC, United States.
authors.forename: Christina L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Grek
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Division of General Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States.
authors.forename: J Matthew
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Rhett
authors.affiliation: FirstString Research, Inc., 300 W. Coleman Blvd., Suite 203, Mount Pleasant, SC, United States. Electronic address: ghatnekar@firststringresearch.com.
authors.forename: Gautam S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Ghatnekar
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism*; D002493:Central Nervous System Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism; D018031:Connexin 43 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D017629:Gap Junctions / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism*; D010455:Peptides / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism; D014945:Wound Healing
chemical_list: D018031:Connexin 43; C514423:Gap 26 peptide; D010455:Peptides
keywords: ACT1 peptide; CNS; Cancer; Connexin43; Gap junction; Purinergic; Therapeutic; Wound healing