title: Key roles of aquaporins in tumor biology.
abstract: Aquaporins are protein channels that facilitate the flow of water across plasma cell membranes in response to osmotic gradients. This review summarizes the evidence that aquaporins play key roles in tumor biology including tumor-associated edema, tumor cell migration, tumor proliferation and tumor angiogenesis. Aquaporin inhibitors may thus be a novel class of anti-tumor agents. However, attempts to produce small molecule aquaporin inhibitors have been largely unsuccessful. Recently, monoclonal human IgG antibodies against extracellular aquaporin-4 domains have become available and could be engineered to kill aquaporin-4 over-expressing cells in the malignant brain tumor glioblastoma. We conclude this review by discussing future directions in aquaporin tumor research. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Membrane channels and transporters in cancers.
authors.affiliation: Academic Neurosurgery Unit, St. George's, University of London, London SW17 0RE, UK.
authors.forename: Marios C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Papadopoulos
authors.affiliation: Academic Neurosurgery Unit, St. George's, University of London, London SW17 0RE, UK. Electronic address: ssaadoun@sgul.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Samira
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saadoun
mesh_terms: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D020346:Aquaporins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D001692:Biological Transport; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000187:drug effects; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D005909:Glioblastoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000922:Immunotoxins / Q000737:chemistry; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000517:prevention & control; D009995:Osmosis; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014867:Water / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D020346:Aquaporins; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D000922:Immunotoxins; D014867:Water
keywords: Aquaporin; Cancer; Review; Tumor; Water channel